Cable Deal Signed in Damascus
Syria's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology signed an agreement on 13 September 2026 to build a new submarine telecommunications cable named "Ebla," connecting the Syrian coast to the island of Cyprus. The signing brought together the national telecom operator, the Cypriot telecommunications authority, and an American communications company.
The project is one of the most concrete foreign-partnered infrastructure agreements the country has concluded this year, and it involves the direct participation of a United States firm in a Syrian telecommunications build.
Route and Capacity
The cable is designed to run from the port city of Tartus to a landing station on Cyprus, giving Syria a direct high-capacity link into European and global networks. It will carry 24 fiber-optic pairs.
At launch the system is set to deliver 31 terabits per second, with the design allowing expansion to as much as 370 terabits per second as demand grows.
International Partners
Alongside the national operator and the Cypriot authority, a U.S. communications company is a party to the agreement. Specialized international contractors are responsible for manufacturing the cable, laying it along the surveyed seabed route, and supplying the transmission equipment.
Maritime survey work to map the exact route was described as already under way.
Part of a Wider Network Plan
Officials framed the cable as one element of a broader connectivity strategy. That plan also includes a separate submarine cable project and a domestic fiber-optic backbone intended to extend high-speed service inside the country.
The stated aim is to improve service quality, add redundancy so that a single failure does not cut the country off, and support the growth of a digital economy.
Timeline and Significance
Commercial service over the new link is planned to begin in early 2028. The agreement is notable for drawing European and American technology partners into a Syrian infrastructure project at a time when the country is seeking outside investment to rebuild.
No investment figure was disclosed at the signing.