Medusa Subsea Cable Reaches Nador, Morocco, Marking Key Milestone for Mediterranean Connectivity
December 17, 2025
The strategic importance of digital connectivity in the Mediterranean region has taken a significant leap forward with the latest landing of the Medusa subsea cable system. This major infrastructure project is designed to bolster data capacity, enhance network resilience, and support the digital economies of both Southern Europe and North Africa, positioning Morocco as a pivotal hub in global data routes.
This week, the consortium behind the Medusa cable announced its successful landing at a new cable landing station (CLS) in Nador, Morocco. The landing was facilitated by Orange Morocco, which inaugurated the kingdom's first CLS at the site. Local telecom operator Inwi is also a partner for the Moroccan branch of the system. This event follows earlier landings in Marseille, France, and Bizerte, Tunisia, throughout 2025. The initial segment connecting Marseille, Bizerte, and Nador is scheduled to go live in early 2026.
The newly opened CLS in Nador, a 3,500-square-meter facility, is designed to be carrier-neutral and host multiple cables. It offers 465 square meters of white space with 140kW of power capacity. Once fully deployed, the €342 million ($400m) Medusa system will span approximately 8,700 kilometers, connecting 19 landing sites across Europe and North Africa. The cable will feature segments with up to 24 fiber pairs, each capable of carrying 20Tbps, providing a substantial boost to the region's total data transmission capacity.
Norman Albi, CEO of Medusa, stated, "This year has marked significant progress for Medusa, and the landing in Nador is another key step forward. After Marseille and Bizerte, this achievement demonstrates our commitment to building a state-of-the-art subsea network connecting the Mediterranean region."
Industry leaders emphasized the project's alignment with national and regional digital strategies. Azdine El Mountassir Billah, CEO of Inwi, said, "For Inwi, this project reflects a long-term commitment to investing in resilient, high-capacity infrastructures that strengthen the country’s position at the heart of Mediterranean and global data routes." Hendrik Kasteel, CEO of Orange Morocco, added, "Orange Maroc is proud to host this submarine cable and to inaugurate the kingdom’s first Cable Landing Station."
The broader implications of the Medusa project are substantial for the digital infrastructure landscape. Funded by AFR-IX Telecom, Orange, and the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility, the cable is a cornerstone of efforts to reduce dependency on existing routes and create a more interconnected and robust digital corridor. The completed route will extend from Lisbon, Portugal, through the Mediterranean to Egypt and Jordan, with planned expansions to Syria and, separately, down the West African coast. This enhanced connectivity is expected to catalyze economic growth, support cloud and AI-driven services, and advance Morocco's "Maroc Digital 2030" ambition to become a regional digital hub.
Source: datacenterdynamics
