With the cable system Alpal-2, France Telecom secures its link with Algeria
July 23, 2002--France Telecom announces the commercial service launch of Alpal-2, the submarine cable system linking Algiers and Palma de Mallorca, thus securing the telecommunications link between Algeria and Europe.
Alpal-2 is 312-km link between Algiers (landing station in El Djemila) and Palma, in the Mallorca Island (landing station in Ses Covetes) with a maximum capacity of 160 Gbits/sec. Using DWDM technology, the cable consists of four fiber-optic pairs, each carrying four 10-Gbit/sec wavelengths. In the Mediterranean sea, the Alpal-2 is the longest submarine cable without amplifiers. It is designed to integrate DWDM transmission with existing and future systems, including integrated remote pumping technology. Pirelli is the supplier of the cable systems.
"This new cable enhances our international network infrastructure, securing the route using the Sea Me We 2 cable system," says Jean-Philippe Vanot, head of France Telecom Long Distance. "It also provides additional capacity to accommodate the expected growth in multimedia traffic throughout the Mediterranean region."
The total cost of the system is roughly EUR 16.6 million. France Telecom's investment represents 25 percent of this amount, or approximately EUR 4.1 million.