Syria and Cyprus have signed an agreement to establish the Ebla submarine cable linking the two countries, moving the project into the implementation phase as Syria seeks to modernise its international telecommunications infrastructure and diversify connectivity routes.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syria's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology announced that the agreement was signed by the Syrian Company for Communications, the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (Cyta) and US-based UNIFI Communications Inc.
The Ebla cable will connect the Syrian coastal city of Tartous with the TATCYNOS submarine cable station in Cyprus. The ministry said the system will include 24 pairs of optical fibres with an initial capacity of 31 terabits per second, expandable to 370 Tbps.
The project is expected to enter service in early 2028, providing Syria with direct connectivity to European and global networks through Cyta's infrastructure.
The new cable will replace the AUGER cable, which entered service in 1995 and currently has a capacity of around 2 Tbps following upgrades completed in 2025, according to the ministry.
Syria said the project forms part of a broader strategy to expand international telecommunications capacity, improve service reliability and support economic activity. Plans are also under way for a Syrian landing station on the Medusa submarine cable network, while the SilkLink project is intended to connect cable landing stations with cities, data centres, operators and border crossings across the country.
Marine survey work is currently being carried out along the route between Tartous and Cyprus. The ministry said NSW, a subsidiary of Prysmian, will undertake marine cable works, Elettra will handle installation, and Nokia will provide transmission equipment.
The project is scheduled to complete installation, testing and trial operations before becoming operational in early 2028, subject to licensing approvals, marine conditions and vessel availability.
Connecting Syria to the world through Cyprus
Syrian Communications and Information Technology Minister Abdul Salam Haykal described the project as a key step in strengthening Syria's global connectivity.
“Ebla renews Syria’s direct connection with the world through Cyprus, and the upcoming Medusa cable will expand our options for connection to global networks. SilkLink will distribute these capacities through an open-access national network,” Haykal said.
Haykal said negotiations were continuing on additional cables linking to landing stations in Tartous and the Mazra’a area in Latakia.
Cyta Executive Chairman George Metzakis said the project would help develop Cyprus' digital infrastructure and strengthen connectivity between the two countries.
UNIFI Communications Chief Executive Adrian Shatku said the company was pleased to participate in a project that would enhance regional and global connectivity routes.
Source: SANA
