[1] In July, 2006, Alcatel has signed the contract with Maroc Telecom for the submarine cable network linking Morocco and France. Alcatel, and then Alcatel-Lucent, has been in charge of the design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, integration and testing of the entire system, along with post-commissioning support. The Atlas Offshore project values 26 million Euro.

This submarine cable network was landed in Marseille today in the presence of representatives from Maroc Telecom and Alcatel-Lucent. Directly interconnecting Maroc Telecom with the various European operators, Atlas Offshore supports the growth and convergence of fixed and mobile services.

Spanning more than 1,630 km, Atlas Offshore strengthens regional connectivity and high-speed access capabilities. It offers advanced restoration capabilities and serves as backhaul infrastructure to the existing Eurafrica submarine system - 3,200 km connecting France, Morocco and Portugal - and to Sea-Me-We 3. With a 320 Gbit/s design capacity, Atlas Offshore secures existing international links and enhances Maroc Telecom’s network capacity. Thus, Maroc Telecom will be able to deliver high-speed services such as high-speed Internet, TV over ADSL, mobile data services, and off-shoring activities.

This new connection confirms Marseille as a crucial communication hub, being at the crossroad of the Sea-Me-We 3, Sea-Me-We 4 and Med-Cable submarine networks, all landed by Alcatel-Lucent. Atlas Offshore will further contribute to the city’s economic development and of the many small and medium enterprises created over the past years in business segments including petrochemicals, microelectronics, telecommunications and oceanic engineering.