The telecommunications world sees a new breakthrough with the unveiling of the Asia-Africa-Europe-2 (AAE-2) subsea cable project. Undertaken by a consortium of PCCW Global, Sparkle, Telecom Egypt, and ZOI, the system seeks to bind together three continents amidst soaring data demands.
This ambitious cable system plans to connect Hong Kong and Singapore with Italy. A significant feature is its high-capacity land crossings through Thailand, the Arabian Peninsula, and Egypt. Specifics such as cable length, landing points, or fiber capacity remain undisclosed, indicating early project stages. Nevertheless, the provision for strategic extensions suggests plans to enhance connectivity for other critical regions.
One of the driving motives behind AAE-2 is to act as an improvement over the existing Asia Africa Europe-1 (AAE-1) cable. Built in 2017, AAE-1 operated along a similar path without terrestrial corridors. By this new integration, the AAE-2 aims to blend land-based and underwater routes for robust, high-capacity connectivity designed for global business and community needs.
Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle, accentuates the importance of this integrated connection. “With AAE-2,” he notes, “we are taking a further step forward, contributing to the creation of a distinctive infrastructure that combines terrestrial and subsea solutions to deliver secure, high-capacity and low-latency connectivity in support of the digital transformation of businesses and communities worldwide.”
As the month also witnesses Google‘s submarine cable agreement with Chile to link the country with Australia, it illustrates a strong trend toward expansive digital connectivity. Continued cross-border collaborations mirror this heightened focus on strengthening international telecommunications infrastructures.