Orange launches the ViaTunisia segment of the Medusa subsea cable connecting France and Tunisia
Type: Partnership · Technology: Telecom · Country: France, Tunisia · Announced: 2026-06-03
Orange announced Ready for Service of the ViaTunisia segment of the Medusa subsea cable system on June 3, 2026, linking Marseille, France to Bizerte, Tunisia. The 1,050 km ViaTunisia subsystem was co-financed by the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Digital) program, whose grant covered 30% of construction and management costs; Tunisie Telecom secured a dedicated fiber pair on the route. The wider 8,760 km Medusa system, developed by AFR-IX Telecom, spans 17 landing points across southern Europe and North Africa with a design capacity of 480 Tbps over 24 fibre pairs.
Analysis
Orange reached Ready for Service on the 1,050 km ViaTunisia segment of the Medusa subsea cable on June 3, 2026, linking Marseille, France to Bizerte, Tunisia. The European Union co-financed the segment under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Digital) grant, covering 30% of construction and management costs; Tunisie Telecom secured a dedicated fiber pair. The wider 8,760 km Medusa system, developed by AFR-IX Telecom, spans 17 landing points across southern Europe and North Africa at 480 Tbps over 24 fibre pairs.
Key points
- Ready for Service on June 3, 2026
- Links Marseille, France to Bizerte, Tunisia (1,050 km)
- EU CEF grant co-financed 30% of segment cost
- Tunisie Telecom secured a dedicated fiber pair
- Wider Medusa system: 8,760 km, 17 landing points, 480 Tbps
Counterparties
- European Union (Financier)
- Orange (Developer)
- Tunisie Telecom (Buyer)
- AFR-IX Telecom (Developer)
📈 The Sherpa Signal — one notable infrastructure deal a day.