HANNIBAL System

Overview

The HANNIBAL System is a short submarine cable spanning 178 km across the central Mediterranean Sea, connecting Italy and Tunisia. It provides a direct bilateral link between these two countries across the Sicilian Channel, one of the narrower crossings in the Mediterranean basin.

Route and Landings

In Italy, the cable lands at Mazara del Vallo, a coastal town on the southwestern tip of Sicily. In Tunisia, the cable lands at Kelibia, located on the Cap Bon peninsula in the northeast of the country. These two landing points sit on opposite shores of the Sicilian Channel.

Ownership and Operators

The HANNIBAL System is owned solely by Tunisia Telecom, the Tunisian state-owned telecommunications operator. As the sole owner, Tunisia Telecom holds full responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the cable.

Technical Profile

At 178 km, the HANNIBAL System is a relatively short cable system, reflecting the limited geographic distance between the Sicilian and Tunisian coastlines across the Sicilian Channel.

Status and Timeline

The HANNIBAL System entered service in 2009 and remains an operational link between Italy and Tunisia.

Regional Context

The Italy–Tunisia corridor hosts a range of cables of varying scale. Among regional peers, the HANNIBAL System is considerably smaller in length than systems such as 2Africa, the Asia Africa Europe-1 (AAE-1) cable, IMEWE, or the Middle East North Africa (MENA) Cable System, all of which pass through this broader Mediterranean region while serving intercontinental routes. The forthcoming Medusa Submarine Cable System will serve both Italy and Tunisia directly, and PEACE Cable provides a connection to the broader Tunisian coastal corridor. By contrast, the HANNIBAL System is purpose-built for the bilateral Italy–Tunisia connection alone, covering only 178 km.

Measured performance over the last 60 days, based on 74 ping tests through the cable, shows an average round-trip latency of 98.0 ms, with a best recorded round-trip time of 25.0 ms.

Strategic Role

By linking Mazara del Vallo in Sicily directly to Kelibia on Tunisia's Cap Bon peninsula, the HANNIBAL System provides a dedicated bilateral submarine connection between the two countries. Its short length reflects the geography of the Sicilian Channel, and its single-owner structure under Tunisia Telecom gives that operator direct control over this Italy–Tunisia subsea route.