A new subsea cable linking Hong Kong and Singapore to Europe is being planned.

PCCW Global, Sparkle, Telecom Egypt and Zain Omantel International (ZOI) this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the construction of the Asia–Africa–Europe-2 (AAE-2) subsea cable system.

The cable will connect Hong Kong and Singapore to Italy, and feature terrestrial corridors across Thailand, the Arabian Peninsula, and Egypt.

Further details on cable route and capacity, as well as project timelines, were not shared.

Frederick Chui, PCCW Global CEO, said: “PCCW Global is proud to contribute to the AAE-2 initiative, building on our legacy of supporting vital global infrastructure. Following our instrumental role in the success of the AAE-1 system, we are pleased to bring our expertise to AAE-2, an advanced, high-capacity, and geographically diverse subsea cable system connecting Asia and Europe.”

The AAE-1 cable, launched in 2017, spans 25,000km (15,534 miles), linking China to France and Italy via the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. PCCW, Telecom Egypt, and Omantel were involved in the 40Tbps project, along with various other local operators.

Between them, the companies involved in AAE-2 own or operate capacity on dozens of subsea cables globally.

Enrico Bagnasco, Sparkle CEO, added: “The AAE-2 cable system is an innovative project perfectly in line with Sparkle’s long-term strategy to strengthen the Asia–Africa–Europe corridor by enhancing route diversity and ensuring the highest levels of network resilience."

Another cable avoiding the Red Sea?

With a terrestrial component across the Arabian Peninsula, AAE-2 could be the latest cable set to avoid the bottleneck of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

Today, more than a dozen cables pass through the narrow channel, but several projects are looking to bypass the Suez Canal or the Red Sea entirely and connect Asia to Southern Europe via Israel or even Turkey via terrestrial routes across the Arabian Peninsula.

Telecom Egypt CEO Mohamed Nasr said: "The construction of the AAE-2 cable system is a continuation of our success stories as a global data connectivity provider and another testament to our commitment to driving digital connections through major collaborations. AAE-2 will also benefit from accessing and cross-connecting with the other subsea cables using our WeConnect ecosystem.”

Sohail Qadir, ZOI CEO, added: "This collaboration marks a defining milestone for ZOI and the region we proudly serve. As the international gateway for the Middle East, we are uniquely positioned at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, making us a strategic enabler of next-generation connectivity.”

At least one company is confirmed as planning a Eurasian fiber route that connects Israel to its Middle Eastern neighbor. First announced in 2020, Cinturion, a fiber network solutions provider, is currently building its TEAS – Trans Europe Asia System – a multi-cable system running between Europe and India, with funding from US investment firm Stonecourt Capital.

In Europe, the system will comprise a pair of submarine cables – Med West (MW) and Med East (ME) – running from Marseilles, France, and Bari, Italy, to the Eastern Mediterranean coast. From there, one route will run through the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, while the southern route will pass through the Red Sea, both finally landing in Mumbai, India.

The north branch will land at Ras Al Khair in Saidi, Abu Dhabi in the UAE, and Barka in Oman. Landing points for the south branch of TEAS include Duba and Thuwal in Saudi, Djibouti City in Djibouti, and Salalah in Oman. Both cables would run through Israel – the north route through the Rishon area of Tel-Aviv, and the southern portion through Ashkelon.

DCD understands there are other projects similar to TEAS in the works that aren't public yet.

Turkey could also be a new option. Iraq's Informatics and Telecommunications Public Company (ITPC) and Kuwaiti telco Zajil Telecom recently signed an agreement to create a communications route from the Gulf region to Europe. The route will create a telecommunications corridor to Europe, via Iraq, and will pass through Turkey.