Qatar-based Gulf Bridge International (GBI), the Middle East’s first privately-owned submarine cable operator, and Interoute, the owner operator of Europe’s most advanced next-generation network, have signed two new agreements that will offer seamless communications between the Gulf and Europe.
Ahmed Mekky (left) and Gareth Williams shake hands after signing the GBI-Interoute agreement
Under the first deal - Italian Terrestrial Network Agreement - Interoute will provide GBI with a fully diverse route from the latter’s landing station in Mazara, Sicily to Interoute’s Milan point of presence (PoP) at Caldera.
The second one - European Network Agreement - will see GBI and Interoute integrate their networks and provides GBI with access to Europe on the most advanced and densely connected voice and data network. It will also provide connectivity to the major centres of Milan, London, Paris, Marseilles, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.
“I am delighted that we are working with Interoute and building on the agreement we signed with Interoute last year,” said Ahmed Mekky, board member and CEO of GBI. “This is a major milestone for GBI, as we deliver on our promise to connect the world to the Gulf region. With our launch only a few months away, we have now secured extensive coverage across Europe, beyond the physical reach of the GBI Cable System. This will enable both of our companies to offer the most comprehensive coverage between Europe and the Middle East.”
Gareth Williams, Interoute CEO said: “The global demand for Internet increases year on year, and there is a real need for strong, resilient Internet connections between Europe, the Middle East and Africa. We are very excited to be working closely with GBI again to further strengthen the communications bridge between the continents and meet this demand.”
