The route, which connects Western Europe and the Balkan Peninsula is expected to be ready for service in October 2021.
Adrian Shatku, CEO of WIS Telecom said: “I am thrilled to be able to announce this strategic partnership with Retelit for the upgrade and relaunch of the IG-1 submarine cable system. We firmly believe that together, with our combined experience, we will meet the post-Covid demand for digital growth in the region and beyond. We are looking forward to working together with Federico and his team as well as helping our prospective customers to unlock and drive more value in this segment.”
WIS will extend a fibre optic backhaul from the Cable Landing Station (CLS) of the IG-1 submarine cable it owns to connect with Retelit's optical network at their Bari PoP. Moreover, Retelit will assist WIS with the technological upgrade of IG-1 with 400 Gbps technology, including its operations and maintenance through a full outsourcing agreement.
Through this new diverse route, WIS and Retelit will offer low latency (10/100 Gbps) wavelength data transport connections from Milan, Rome, and other major Western European data centres to Athens, Albania, Kosovo and other destinations across the Balkan Peninsula.
The new upgraded path (see image) will effectively create an expanded digital highway that bridges Western Europe and the Balkan Peninsula with 400Gb technology, making large volumes of bandwidth available to meet growing demand while also fuelling technological innovation in the region.
The developments mean Retilit customers, including hyperscalers and global telcos, can now connect from major hubs in Western Europe to the Balkans with improved performance and latency.
Federico Protto, CEO of Retelit said: “We are pleased to announce the expansion of our international optical network reach thanks to the agreement with WIS, which exploits our partner’s existing subsea infrastructure and Retelit’s expertise, thus enabling a low latency new route to the Balkans. As per our strategy, we are constantly innovating our global reach leveraging on our own existing assets and on international partnerships.
"With this new route, Retelit and WIS meet booming customer demand on the Western European and Balkans corridors linking the whole Mediterranean.”
