19 December 2025
Orange and Inwi have revealed that the Medusa submarine fibre optic cable has arrived on Morocco’s coast, marking the kingdom’s sixth interconnected international cable. The new infrastructure is set to become operational in 2026, further strengthening Morocco’s global connectivity.
Inwi emphasized that this project aligns with a long-term vision to enhance the country's digital sovereignty, bolster network resilience, and promote digital inclusion nationwide.
According to a joint statement, Inwi has contracted with Medusa Submarine Cable System to lay a 1,416 km ultra-high-speed link connecting Nador in Morocco to Marseille in France. This new route adds to existing international connections, providing greater redundancy, improving the reliability of cross-border communications, and increasing the resilience of Morocco’s national network amid surging data traffic.
The Medusa cable, over 8,700 km long, features 24 fibre pairs supporting a total capacity of 480 terabits. Initially designed to connect Morocco with Portugal, Spain, France, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt, it will also be extended to serve sub-Saharan African countries.
Research by the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development (FERDI) in June 2025 highlights that doubling international capacity via submarine cables can reduce prices significantly — up to 32% for fixed broadband and 50% for mobile broadband. The Didon cable in Tunisia (2014) resulted in a 5% decrease in mobile broadband prices. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) notes that strengthening submarine cable infrastructure not only lowers costs but also helps connect more people to the internet and improves service quality.
Currently, Morocco is connected through five other submarine cables: Atlas Offshore, Canalink, EllaLink, Est-Tet, and Maroc Telecom West Africa. As of June 2025, the country had 41.2 million internet subscriptions (both fixed and mobile), with an average data usage of 42 GB per month per user.
