GRID TELECOM and ISLALINK agreement on new fiber optic corridor in the Mediterranean

Grid Telecom and Islalink announce the signing of a 25-year agreement on the expansion of the terrestrial optical backbone network of the IONIAN submarine cable that connects Italy and Greece. On the Greek side, the 320 km cable of Islalink will be supplemented by a 1,000 km fiber optic network of Grid Telecom, which connects Preveza with Athens and then with Thessaloniki.

The cooperation of the IPTO subsidiary and Islalink marks the expansion of critical broadband infrastructure in the Mediterranean that significantly enhances the interconnection of the two countries with an additional capacity of 360 Tbps. The IONIAN cable is expected to make a decisive contribution to the emergence of the two largest urban centers in Greece as regional hubs for cloud, content and telecommunications services, giving rise to new investments in digital infrastructure.

The agreement is consistent with Grid Telecom’s strategy, which aims to consolidate its position as a key neutral wholesale service provider in the wider region, offering its customers alternative routes to neighboring countries.

The Director of Grid Telecom, Mr. George Psyrris, said: “We are proud to help implement the IONIAN project that will bring a new and alternative international route, which will help Greece become one of the key data hubs in the Mediterranean. “We are also excited to see Islalink as an important partner in developing our international strategy.”

The CEO of Islalink, Mrs. Esther Garcés, stated: “Having Grid Telecom as a terrestrial fiber optic supplier in Greece gives us great confidence. The optical network managed by Grid Telecom is proven to be highly reliable and fully covers the requirements of the IONIAN system. In addition, Grid Telecom and Islalink are fully strategically aligned, as both companies are neutral wholesale service providers.”