SeaMeWe-5

Overview

SeaMeWe-5 is an intercontinental submarine cable spanning 18 landing points across 16 countries in North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. The total length of the cable is 20,000 km, and it was ready for service in 2016. Owned by a consortium including Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL), China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Djibouti Telecom, and Myanmar Post and Telecommunication (MPT), the cable connects these countries through a network of landing points.

Route and Landings

In Bangladesh, the cable lands at Kuakata. In Djibouti, it lands at Haramous. In Egypt, Abu Talat and Zafarana are the landing points. Toulon in France is another stop for the cable. In Indonesia, Dumai and Medan serve as landing locations. Italy has a landing point in Catania. Melaka in Malaysia also hosts a connection. Ngwe Saung in Myanmar is one of the stops. Qalhat in Oman, Karachi in Pakistan, Yanbu in Saudi Arabia, Tuas in Singapore, Matara in Sri Lanka, Marmaris in Turkey, and Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates are additional landing points. Finally, Al Hudaydah in Yemen completes the route.

Ownership and Operators

The cable is operated by a consortium consisting of Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL), China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, Djibouti Telecom, and Myanmar Post and Telecommunication (MPT).

Status and Timeline

SeaMeWe-5 was ready for service in 2016. The status of the cable is unknown.

Strategic Context

SeaMeWe-5 connects Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. This intercontinental cable forms part of the global network that carries international internet traffic.