Grid Telecom and Islalink announce the signing of a 25-year agreement to extend the terrestrial optical backbone network of the IONIAN submarine cable connecting 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 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 which 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 that Managed by Grid Telecom are proven to be highly reliable and fully meet the requirements of the IONIAN system. In addition, Grid Telecom and Islalink are fully stocked and strategically aligned, as both companies are neutral wholesale service providers “.
