GBI undersea cable system ready for service

Gulf Bridge International (GBI) and TE SubCom, a TE Connectivity Ltd. Co., say the GBI undersea cable system is ready for service. The GBI submarine fiber-optic ring network connects Qatar, the UAE, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. It also provides onward connectivity to India and Europe, with the promise of additional connectivity “in the coming months,” according to the two parties.

The GBI system offers a capacity of at least 5.18 Tbps. The self-healing ring will provide high resilience, enabling the provision of reliable, high quality of service.

“Achieving this status for our cable system puts GBI one step closer toward accomplishing our mission to connect the world to the Gulf,” said Ahmed Mekky, board member and CEO, GBI, which bills itself as the Middle East’s first privately owned regional cable operator. “Our high-capacity system addresses increasing demand and will foster economic and social growth throughout all Gulf countries.”

“We join GBI in marking the completion of its large scale project, which was constructed with our proprietary undersea OADM switching technology, which enhances network resiliency and flexibility,” said Debra Brask, managing director, TE SubCom. “The GBI system will immediately redefine connectivity in the Gulf region, as it links three continents and provides a crucial technological advancement to previously underserved countries.”