Sparkle has signed an agreement with Jordanian partners NaiTel and iLevant to extend the GreenMed submarine cable system through Jordan, creating a new digital connectivity route linking Europe and Asia.
The memorandum of understanding covers work to connect the subsea GreenMed cable with terrestrial fibre networks and regional interconnection platforms in Jordan, according to a statement from the European External Action Service (EEAS) released on Tuesday.
Jordan — through Aqaba Digital Hub — is already a landing point for the BlueMed and Blue & Raman submarine cable systems, reinforcing the country’s role as a terrestrial gateway on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
GreenMed has received European Union funding under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme.
Funding and statements from partners
The EU has provided nearly €20 million in co-funding for GreenMed, EU Ambassador Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas said in the same statement.
Chatzisavas also referred to a recent EU-supported €12 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to Aqaba Digital Hub.
Eyad Abu Khorma, founder and CEO of Aqaba Digital Hub, said Jordan is positioned on connectivity routes between Europe and Asia and that extending GreenMed to Jordan would further integrate subsea and terrestrial networks.
Enrico Bagnasco, chief executive of Sparkle, said the agreement expands GreenMed across Jordan and builds on Sparkle’s collaboration with NaiTel and iLevant.
