Algeria: new submarine cable announced to improve internet speeds

Algeria plans to connect to a new submarine fibre optic cable to increase internet speeds in the country. The project was revealed on Monday, 15 December by Sid Ali Zerrouki (photo), Minister of Post and Telecommunications, during an interview on Algerian Radio.

According to Algérie Presse Service (APS), Mr Zerrouki explained that the first stone of the cable will be laid in the "next two days". However, no further details were given about this new infrastructure, including its name, capacity, cost, technical partners or commissioning schedule.

However, the Submarine Cable Map platform, which maps this type of infrastructure worldwide in real time, indicates that two cables are scheduled to be commissioned in Algeria in 2026. These are Africa-1, which has a nominal capacity of between 200 and 300 gigabits per second (Gbps), and the Medusa cable, currently under installation, with the first phase expected in 2026. This infrastructure will include segments with up to 24 fibre pairs, each capable of reaching 20 terabits per second.

Algeria is currently served by five submarine cables: TE North/TGN-Eurasia/SEACOM/Alexandros/Medex, SeaMeWe-4, Oran-Valencia (ORVAL), Med Cable Network and Alpal-2. According to the minister, the country's current capacity stands at 10.2 terabits per second. "Algeria is currently in a comfortable position in terms of Internet speed, thanks to this very significant capacity," he added.

This increase in national capacity is part of a digital transformation marked by the growing adoption and widespread use of ICTs, particularly the Internet. This trend is reflected in a sustained increase in data demand and consumption. For example, the GSMA indicates that average data traffic consumed per subscription in Africa will increase from 4 GB per month in 2024 to 9 GB in 2030.

In North Africa, the number of Internet subscriptions rose from approximately 18.6 million in December 2015 to approximately 59.1 million at the end of June 2025. The volume of data consumed rose from around 379.7 million GB in the second quarter of 2020 to around 3.3 billion GB in the second quarter of 2025. Over the same period, bandwidth usage rose from 1,600 to 5,390 Gbps out of the 10.2 terabits currently installed. The country has also just rolled out commercial 5G, which is more powerful and more demanding in terms of capacity than previous generations.

It is also worth noting that sector studies and analyses indicate that increasing submarine cable capacity can lead to a significant reduction in mobile broadband prices and encourage greater adoption of digital services. However, they emphasise the importance of fibre optic networks across the country to extend connectivity beyond coastal areas.