Tunisia Secures First Direct Medusa Subsea Cable Link to Europe as Africa’s Internet Infrastructure Race Accelerates
Africa’s race to expand international internet infrastructure has gained another major milestone after telecom giant Orange activated a new undersea cable connecting Tunisia directly to Europe. The launch marks the first operational segment of the ambitious Medusa Submarine Cable System, a project expected to reshape digital connectivity across the Mediterranean region.
As demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), fintech services, and digital businesses continues to surge across Africa, governments, telecom operators, and global technology companies are investing billions of dollars into new subsea cable infrastructure to improve network resilience and expand bandwidth capacity.
Orange Activates ViaTunisia Cable Between France and Tunisia
French telecommunications company Orange has officially switched on the ViaTunisia subsea cable, creating a new high-capacity digital corridor between Marseille, France, and Bizerte, Tunisia.
The 1,050-kilometre undersea cable is the first active component of the wider Medusa Submarine Cable System, an 8,760-kilometre network currently under construction across the Mediterranean Sea.
Orange serves as the landing partner at both ends of the cable and has integrated the new connection directly into its existing infrastructure in Marseille through a fibre ring connecting its regional data centres.
The activation gives Tunisia a new international internet route while strengthening digital connectivity between Europe and North Africa.
ViaTunisia Cable at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Cable Name | ViaTunisia |
| Length | 1,050 km |
| Route | Marseille, France – Bizerte, Tunisia |
| Operator | Orange |
| Parent Network | Medusa Submarine Cable System |
| Total Medusa Length | 8,760 km |
| Funding Support | European Union (CEF Digital Programme) |
| Status | Live |
Medusa Project Aims to Connect 17 Mediterranean Landing Stations
ViaTunisia forms part of the larger Medusa Submarine Cable System, owned by African digital infrastructure company AFR-IX Telecom.
Once completed, the Medusa network will span approximately 8,760 kilometres and connect up to 17 landing stations across the Mediterranean region.
Countries Expected to Connect to Medusa
| Northern Mediterranean | Southern Mediterranean |
|---|---|
| France | Tunisia |
| Spain | Morocco |
| Portugal | Algeria |
| Italy | Libya |
| Greece | Egypt |
| Cyprus | |
| Malta |
Unlike traditional telecom infrastructure projects, Medusa is being developed as an open-access cable system, allowing multiple telecom providers and internet operators to access its capacity.
The European Union co-financed the ViaTunisia segment through its Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital programme, covering approximately 30% of construction and management costs under a grant agreement signed in December 2022.
Why Africa Is Investing Heavily in New Subsea Cables
The launch of ViaTunisia comes amid growing concerns over internet resilience across Africa.
Over the last few years, multiple large-scale cable disruptions have exposed the continent’s dependence on a limited number of international connectivity routes.
In March 2024, several African countries experienced widespread internet outages after four major subsea cables were damaged simultaneously near Côte d’Ivoire. The disruptions affected banking systems, mobile networks, payment services, and millions of internet users across West Africa, including Nigeria.
Later in 2024, East Africa suffered additional connectivity disruptions after submarine cable failures affected routes serving countries including Kenya and South Africa.
Earlier incidents in the Red Sea, linked to attacks by Houthi militants, had already disrupted major international internet routes serving parts of Africa and Asia.
These outages demonstrated how damage to a single subsea cable can trigger widespread disruptions across multiple sectors, including:
- Banking and financial services
- Mobile telecommunications
- Cloud computing platforms
- Digital payments
- Government services
- Everyday internet access
Industry experts argue that increasing the number of international cable routes significantly improves resilience by providing alternative pathways when outages occur.
Orange stated that one of the key objectives behind ViaTunisia is to reduce service disruptions and strengthen network redundancy in a region vulnerable to both natural and geopolitical risks.
Africa’s Subsea Cable Competition Continues to Intensify
The Medusa project enters an increasingly competitive African subsea cable market, where global technology companies and telecom operators are racing to secure future internet infrastructure.
Major Subsea Cable Projects Serving Africa
| Project | Estimated Length | Key Investors |
|---|---|---|
| Medusa | 8,760 km | AFR-IX Telecom |
| Equiano | 15,000 km | |
| 2Africa | 45,000 km | Meta and partners |
Meta-backed 2Africa, currently one of the world’s largest subsea cable projects, has already landed in several African countries, including Nigeria and Ghana through Bayobab, MTN Group’s wholesale infrastructure business.
The project completed its primary network build in late 2025 and is expected to provide international bandwidth at significantly lower costs than older cable systems.
Meanwhile, Google’s Equiano subsea cable continues to expand connectivity between Africa and Europe, with landing stations in Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa, and several other countries.
In September 2025, Google announced plans to develop four additional subsea cable hubs across Africa, targeting connectivity expansion to at least 18 countries.
More International Bandwidth Doesn’t Automatically Mean Better Internet
Despite the rapid growth in subsea cable investments, industry analysts caution that landing new cables alone will not solve Africa’s internet challenges.
To fully benefit from increased international capacity, countries must also invest heavily in:
- National fibre optic networks
- Local data centres
- Metro fibre infrastructure
- Last-mile internet connectivity
- Affordable broadband access
As telecommunications experts have repeatedly noted, many African countries possess enormous international bandwidth capacity offshore but lack the domestic infrastructure required to distribute that capacity efficiently to businesses and households.
One industry expert previously summarised the challenge by saying:
“We have hundreds of terabits offshore, but we struggle to move one terabit efficiently across local markets.”
Tunisia’s New Digital Gateway Signals Africa’s Next Connectivity Phase
The activation of ViaTunisia represents more than just another submarine cable launch. It highlights Africa’s accelerating push to strengthen digital infrastructure, improve internet resilience, and support the next generation of cloud services, artificial intelligence platforms, fintech ecosystems, and digital economies.
For North Africa in particular, a region historically underserved by subsea infrastructure compared to West and East Africa, the Medusa project could become a critical driver of future digital growth.
The bigger challenge, however, remains ensuring that this growing international bandwidth ultimately reaches the businesses, entrepreneurs, and consumers who stand to benefit the most.
