A new undersea cable connecting Cyprus and Syria is expected to enter service by early 2028, creating a new internet link between the two countries.
According to a joint press release issued on Sunday, the Ugarit 2 system will connect Pentaskhinos in Cyprus with Tartus in Syria across a route of about 240 kilometres.
The project is being developed by Cyta, the Syrian Telecommunications Establishment and UNIFI Communications.
The project is intended to replace the existing Ugarit cable, which has connected Cyprus and Syria since 1995.
The current system has a capacity of only 622 megabits per second.
The construction and maintenance agreement was signed in Damascus on July 28, with the companies describing it as the first major international infrastructure agreement to be completed under Syria’s new economic framework.
UNIFI founder and chief executive Adrian Shatku said the project would help reconnect Syria with international digital networks.
“Ugarit 2 is proof that US technology, European partnership and Syrian determination can together deliver critical infrastructure,” he said.
Cyta chief George Metzakis said international network infrastructure was important for strengthening connectivity in the region.
“Strategic investment in regional and international network infrastructure is fundamental to enabling secure, resilient, high-capacity connectivity for the Eastern Mediterranean region,” he said.
Italian manufactuer Prysmian has been selected to supply the submarine cable, while Elettra will carry out the marine installation.
Nokia will provide the optical transmission equipment for the first phase.
A marine survey of the proposed route and cable manufacturing are already under way, with the consortium targeting completion in early 2028.
The project has been developed under a licence issued by the US treasury’s office for foreign assets control and is being presented by the companies as a post sanctions infrastructure project for Syria.
