01 April 2025

ACE Gabon, a key player in the ACE subsea cable consortium, has announced plans to land the Medusa subsea cable in Port-Gentil, Gabon. This initiative follows the signing of a construction and maintenance agreement with Medusa Africa, solidifying ACE Gabon’s role as an essential partner in this significant telecommunications project.

The Medusa submarine cable, powered by AFR-IX Telecom, is designed to enhance connectivity across a wide geographic area. Initially, the cable was planned with 17 landing points, including locations in Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and Tunisia. The recent expansion adds a branch to West Africa, with funding secured from the European Commission to develop the Medusa Africa subsea cable.

In addition to its Gabonese landing, the Medusa project includes plans for a branching unit that will extend to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Several other telecommunications partners have been involved in the Medusa project. Orange Tunisie will act as the landing partner and owner of the Tunisian branch, with the cable landing at Tunisie Orange’s facility in Bizerte. Telecom Egypt will facilitate connections in Port Said, Egypt, linking the cable to existing Red Sea landing stations. Libya’s state-owned LUIC will manage the cable’s landings in Tripoli and Benghazi.

Currently, Port-Gentil is connected only through the Libreville-Port Gentil domestic subsea cable. Other major subsea cables landing in Gabon include ACE, 2Africa, Maroc Telecom West Africa, and SAT-3, all landing in Libreville.

This landing of the Medusa cable in Gabon represents a significant step towards improving digital infrastructure in West Africa, facilitating better connectivity and laying the groundwork for future technological advancements in the region.