PEACE Cable

The PEACE Cable, an acronym for Pakistan and East Africa Connecting Europe, is a significant submarine cable endeavor initiated to bolster data transmission across Asia, Europe, and Africa. Stretching 21,500 km, the cable traverses the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. Originally conceived as a 15,000 km submarine cable stretching from Pakistan to France, it later expanded to encompass an additional 6,500 km from Pakistan to Singapore, with main trunk landings in Singapore, Pakistan, Kenya, Egypt, and France. Additionally, the cable extends branches to other countries including the Maldives, Malta, and Cyprus among others.

The journey of the PEACE Cable commences from Karachi and the port of Gwadar, reaching various points in East Africa, Egypt, and Europe, and culminating in Marseille. This structure is not only seen as a medium for enhancing digital connectivity but also as a vital catalyst in advancing the digital economy by establishing the shortest route between Asia and Africa.

On December 24, 2022, the PEACE Cable International Network Co., Ltd disclosed that the segment of the PEACE Cable System under construction had successfully cleared system-wide acceptance testing. This announcement signified the cable's readiness for commercial utilization, availing international customers a spectrum of high-speed and low-latency connectivity services.

Moreover, the cable extends over land from a point to Pakistan before navigating underwater, traversing via the Horn of Africa, and concluding in France. This initiative is part of a broader endeavor to fortify global telecommunication infrastructure.

The PEACE Cable boasts a variety of existing and planned landing stations, facilitating its mission of enabling data transmission between Asia, Europe, and Africa. Below are the details regarding the landing stations:

1. Main Trunk Landings:

   • Singapore
   • Pakistan
   • Kenya
   • Egypt
   • France.

2. Branch Landings:

   • Maldives
   • Malta
   • Cyprus.

3. Additional Landings and Extensions:

   • There are private deployments connecting Cyprus with France and Egypt via the ARSINOE cable system.
   • Similarly, a private deployment connects Malta with France and Egypt via the LaValette cable system.
   • A subsystem of the PEACE cable, deployed by Zain Global Connect, extends from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Marseille, France.

4. Specific Landing Points:

   • In Egypt, the landing stations are located in Abu Talat & Zafarana.
   • In France, the landing occurs at Marseille.
   • In Pakistan, a notable landing station is situated in Gwadar.
   • The cable also interfaces with the MRS2 data center in Europe for its termination and interconnection equipment, veering from a traditional landing station setup.

5. Future Extensions:

   • Announcements have been made regarding the extension of the PEACE cable to Tunisia and Seychelles, broadening its connectivity and scope.

This comprehensive network of landing stations and additional extensions highlight the PEACE cable's role in augmenting digital connectivity across continents, aligning with the wider global infrastructure objectives of the project stakeholders.