Digital infrastructure company Orange is partnering with telecoms operators and infrastructure players to develop a new submarine cable connecting La Réunion directly to South Africa.
According to the company, the move is aimed at strengthening the island’s international connectivity, while improving network resilience, reducing latency and diversifying international connectivity routes in the region.
It is also intended to address the ageing of existing regional subsea infrastructure, some of which is approaching the end of its operational life.
The Réunion consortium comprises Orange, Telco OI, Réunicable and La Réunion Connectée, while Alcatel Submarine Networks assumes the role of cable system designer and manufacturer.
“Within this consortium, Orange assumes the role of ‘landing party’ − the operator responsible for the physical arrival of the cable on the island and its connection to terrestrial networks,” notes Orange.
“This includes managing permits with local authorities, carrying out civil engineering works at the landing site, establishing a secure landing station, and interconnecting the submarine cable with the island’s digital infrastructure. This critical link transforms a submarine cable into an accessible resource for all operators and users in La Réunion.”
Orange specialises in telecommunications and digital infrastructure, including high-speed connectivity, fibre networks, submarine cables, cloud, AI, cyber security and digital services.
The firm has a presence across 26 countries, with consumer operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, while its Orange Business, cyber security and wholesale operations extend across 65+ countries and five continents.
Its landing party role will include managing permits with local authorities, civil engineering works at the landing site, establishing a secure landing station and interconnecting the submarine cable with the island’s digital infrastructure, notes the telecoms operator.
According to Orange, this connection between the submarine system and terrestrial infrastructure will make the cable accessible to operators and users on La Réunion.
The project is now entering its preparatory phase, with marine surveys, permits, cable manufacturing and laying still to come; the cable is expected to enter service in 2028.
Strategic connectivity
According to Orange, the next-generation Réunion cable will feature 16 fibre pairs, with each pair providing a capacity of 20Tbps.
Orange’s installation and maintenance subsidiary Orange Marine will handle deployment of the cable, while Alcatel Submarine Networks will be responsible for designing and manufacturing the system.
The Réunion project is receiving European financial support through the Connecting Europe Facility, which is focused on strategic digital infrastructure.
It has also received funding approval from the European Regional Development Fund.
Orange says the European support demonstrates the European Union’s commitment to strengthening digital connectivity in overseas territories and recognises Réunion as strategic infrastructure at European level.
“The project is expected to contribute to the resilience and diversification of international connectivity routes serving the region,” notes Orange.
Following the signing of agreements between consortium members, the next stages will include detailed marine surveys and permit applications, alongside the launch of cable manufacturing and laying operations.
“This future cable is key to La Réunion’s digital development and regional growth – it will meet the rising traffic demands and the need for resilience,” states Jean-Louis Le Roux, EVP of Orange International Networks.
“In line with our ‘trust the future’ strategy, we are investing in this project and will leverage our expertise in its construction, including deployment and landing.”
For SA, the cable would create an additional, more direct international connectivity route to the island, strengthening the country’s role as a regional connectivity hub and providing greater route diversity and resilience for international traffic.
Orange says it is involved in more than 40 submarine cables worldwide, representing nearly 450 000km of fibre. Its capabilities span the design, deployment and operation of terrestrial networks, submarine cables and landing stations.
Other new subsea projects targeting South Africa include Orange’s Via Africa, linking Europe to South Africa; Google’s America-India Connect, which will establish a direct India-South Africa route; and the planned DARE1 extension from Kenya to South Africa.
The DARE1 project is headed by Djibouti Telecom.
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