The ATHENA submarine cable is due to come into full commercial service by the end of this year and TIS’s Mediterranean operations, MedNautilus, will link the submarine cable from its backbone landing station in Athens to connect to Cyta’s landing station in Yeroskipos. TIS claims the ATHENA cable will be the first direct fully redundant ring configured network between Cyprus and Greece, and the agreement will also enable Cyta to access additional destinations from MedNautilus’ landing station in Athens.
The cable is expected to significantly improve international connectivity in the eastern Mediterranean, and it will leverage both the upgraded MINERVA cable system which connects Cyprus to Sicily and access parts of the MedNautilus submarine network. The MINERVA subsea system will be upgraded further towards Catania in Sicily to accommodate Cyta’s requirements for additional IP transit capacity, and extend the cable’s terrestrial connections up to Marseilles.
“Through Cyta’s extensive international telecommunications infrastructure, comprising multiple submarine cable systems connecting with neighbouring countries and other international destinations, Cyprus constitutes a major telecommunications hub in the Mediterranean region, said Yiannis Koulias, director national and international wholesale at Cyta. “The new ATHENA subsystem provides Cyta and MedNautilus with reciprocal business opportunities to access new markets, and allows for full protection of Cyta’s ALEXANDROS subsystem between Cyprus and France. As a result of this new upgrade, MINERVA will reach over 80Gbps of active protected capacity.”
Zvika Caspy, TIS EVP sales for Europe added: “With this new agreement that follows the many others we have signed and implemented in the recent past, Cyta proves once more to be one of TI Sparkle’s most relevant and reliable partners in the region,”
