European data center and fiber firm Sparkle and Algérie Télécom (Algeria Telecom) are planning a new subsea cable in the Mediterranean.

The companies this week announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of a new subsea cable linking Italy and Algeria.

Further details, including landing points, project timelines, or cable specifications, weren’t shared.

The agreement was announced during the 6th Italy-Algeria Business Forum held this week in Rome, in the presence of the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, and of the President of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

“This agreement marks a significant step in strengthening digital ties between Europe and North Africa,” said Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle. “We are proud to contribute to Algeria’s digital future by delivering modern infrastructure as well as innovative and secure solutions for fast and resilient international connectivity.”

“The strategic partnership with Sparkle confirms the long-standing relationship between our two companies and reflects our shared commitment to innovation and excellence,” said Adel Bentoumi, CEO of Algérie Télécom. “We believe that this project will play a key role in diversifying our international routes and in meeting the increasing needs of our customers across Algeria.”

Algeria currently does not have a hyperscaler presence. In spite of the growing interest in data center operations across Africa, Algeria’s data center market is still relatively small. Local players such as HostArts, Ayrade, ICOSNET, and ISSAL offer local hosting services, mostly out of Algiers and Oran.

Algeria is the current landing point for multiple subsea cables, including SeaMeWe-4, Med Cable Network, Alpal-2, and the Oran-Valencia (ORVAL) systems. The upcoming Africa-1 and Medusa cables are also set to land in the country.

There are currently no subsea cables linking mainland Italy to Algeria. SeaMeWe-4 currently connects the North African country and the Italian island of Sicily, while the upcoming Medusa system is set to do the same.

Algeria Telecom is the state-owned and the main telephone company in Algeria, and the sole operator of the fixed telephony network and broadband Internet in the country. Algeria has three main mobile network operators: Djezzy, Algeria Telecom’s ATM Mobilis, and Ooredoo Algeria.

Sparkle operates more than 600,000km (372,822 miles) of cables that connect countries across Europe and the Americas. It also operates data centers and cable landing stations in Greece, Sicily, and Turkey.

Formerly owned by Telecom Italia (TIM), Sparkle is being sold to Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and Retelit, a company controlled by the Asterion fund.