Unitirreno Subsea Cable System Reaches Significant Milestones on Path to Completion

Unitirreno Submarine Network S.p.A. ("Unitirreno") today announced significant progress in developing its advanced subsea cable system, bringing it closer to completion milestones and its targeted Ready-for-Service date, which is set for the second quarter of 2025. Key recent achievements include:

1. Trunk Landing Permits Secured: Unitirreno has successfully obtained environmental permits in strategic locations including Mazara del Vallo, Genoa and Rome. These trunk landing permits are crucial in establishing major connection points within the subsea cable network, ensuring seamless integration and operation. With these permits in hand, the company is strategically positioned to accelerate efforts towards securing new anchor tenants.
2. Qualification of the 24 Fiber Pair System Completed: The Unitirreno subsea cable, featuring a 24 fiber pair system, is the first of its kind in the Mediterranean region to achieve full qualification of subsea repeaters and optical cables. This milestone highlights Unitirreno's commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology and reliable connectivity solutions to meet the region's evolving needs in the digital era.
3. Manufacturing Underway: Manufacturing of the Unitirreno cable system and associated equipment is now in progress, led by Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN). This phase of the project is progressing according to schedule, with meticulous attention to detail and integration of cutting-edge technology ensuring optimal performance upon deployment.

The Unitirreno subsea cable system is poised to significantly enhance regional connectivity in the Mediterranean. This project represents a major stride in meeting the growing demand for reliable communication infrastructure linking the region with the most important Internet Exchange points in Europe.

Renato Brunetti, CEO of Unitirreno said, "Securing trunk landing permits in Mazara del Vallo, Genoa and Rome is a major step forward for Unitirreno. These permits are not only essential for establishing critical connection points within our subsea network but also a significant milestone in our journey toward delivering enhanced regional connectivity to support evolving business requirements."

Andrea Cornetti, President of Unitirreno said, "The new submarine cable system will enable Unitirreno to deliver innovative subsea fiber optic technology within an open cable system structure, empowering customers to select their preferred technology solutions for individual fiber pairs. The expertise and technology contributed by ASN to the manufacturing process, combined with the marine capabilities relevant to survey and installation of Elettra Tlc S.p.A., further reinforce Unitirreno's mission-critical position to deliver much needed capacity for the region."

Vendor Quotes:

Paul Gabla, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of ASN said, "ASN is committed to ensuring the flawless execution of the Unitirreno cable system manufacturing. By leveraging our expertise and cutting-edge technology, we aim to deliver a subsea cable system that not only meets but exceeds expectations, providing optimal performance and reliability upon deployment."

Didier Dillard, Chief Executive Officer of Elettra said, "Elettra has successfully carried out in 2023 the marine survey of the Unitirreno project with its survey vessel Urbano Monti. This is a key milestone of the project that led to the final choice of the marine route, and enabled to assess the appropriate length and types of cable for each segment of the system. We are very pleased to see that this project is progressing according to schedule and we are looking forward to carry out its marine installation with our cableship, upon completion of the manufacturing."

About Unitirreno Submarine Network, S.p.A (Unitirreno)

Unitirreno is a partnership between the fund "Infrastrutture per la Crescita ? Esg" established and managed by Azimut Libera Impresa Sgr, Unidata and industry experts to focus on enhancing Italy's digital infrastructure foundation through deployment of a new subsea cable system in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The approximately 1,030 kilometer system will connect Mazara del Vallo with Genoa and a junction point near Rome-Fiumicino. Unitirreno will offer a secure, low-latency alternative to Marseille as a cable landing hub in the Mediterranean and deliver strategic landing points for intercontinental cables from Asia, the Middle East and Africa in addition to a new route to major digital infrastructure hubs across Europe. www.unitirreno.com

About Alcatel Submarine Networks

Alcatel Submarine Networks, part of Nokia, leads the industry in terms of transmission capacity and installed base with more than 750,000 km of optical submarine systems deployed worldwide, enough to circumnavigate the globe 19 times. From traditional telecom applications to content and "over the top" service provider infrastructures, as well as to offshore oil and gas applications, ASN provides all elements of turnkey global undersea transmission systems, tailored to individual customer's needs. An extensive services portfolio completes its comprehensive offering for the submarine business, including project management, installation, and commissioning, along with marine and maintenance operations performed by ASN's wholly owned fleet of cable ships. www.asn.com

About Elettra TlC S.p.A.

Elettra Tlc Spa is a company dedicated to the marine survey, marine installation and repairs of telecommunication submarine cables all around the world, operating a fleet of two cable ships and one survey vessel. Elettra Tlc is fully owned by Orange. Together with its sister company Orange Marine, it is a world leader in its sector of activity, representing 15% of the global cable ships fleet. It has installed more than 80 000 km of optical cables and is in charge of the maintenance of most of the submarine cables in service in the Mediterranean, Black and Red seas areas. www.elettratlc.it