ReuNION: Orange announces a new submarine cable project connecting La Réunion to South Africa

• A new, more direct subsea cable route to improve latency and contribute to the resilience and diversification of international connectivity routes in the region
• A next-generation submarine cable featuring 16 fiber pairs, each with a capacity of 20 Tbps
• An infrastructure co-financed by the European Union, designed to anticipate the end of life of existing regional subsea systems
• Orange provides its expertise in cable landing, equipment hosting, and terrestrial infrastructure

Orange is partnering with a consortium of telecom operators and infrastructure players including Telco OI, Réunicable, and La Réunion Connectée on the ReuNION submarine cable project, a new digital infrastructure initiative aimed at strengthening La Réunion’s international connectivity by improving network resilience and reducing latency.

The ReuNION cable is part of an effort to upgrade the region’s undersea infrastructure, some of which is nearing the end of its operational life. This next-generation system will help ensure long-term network performance and resilience by providing an additional, more direct international route to South Africa.

Orange providing end-to-end expertise in cable landing

Within this consortium, Orange assumes the role of “landing party”—the operator responsible for the physical arrival of the cable on the island and its connection to terrestrial networks. This includes managing permits with local authorities, carrying out civil engineering works at the landing site, establishing a secure landing station, and interconnecting the submarine cable with the island’s digital infrastructure. This critical link transforms a submarine cable into an accessible resource for all operators and users in La Réunion.

For this project, Orange Marine will be responsible for cable deployment, while the design and manufacturing of the system will be entrusted to Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), in line with the project’s technical and regulatory requirements.

A project supported by European funding

The ReuNION project benefits from European financial support, notably through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program, dedicated to developing strategic digital infrastructure. It has also received funding approval from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

These initiatives demonstrate the European Union’s commitment to strengthening digital connectivity in overseas territories like La Réunion and recognize ReuNION as a strategic infrastructure at the European level.

Next steps

Following the signing of agreements among consortium members, upcoming phases include detailed marine surveys, permit applications, and the simultaneous launch of cable manufacturing and laying operations.

“This future cable is key to La Réunion’s digital development and regional growth – it will meet the rising traffic demands and the need for resilience. In line with our ’Trust the future’ strategy, we are investing in this project and will leverage our expertise in its construction, including deployment and landing,” states Jean-Louis Le Roux, EVP of Orange International Networks.

Worldwide, Orange is involved in over 40 submarine cables totalling nearly 450,000 km of fiber. The Group stands out for its ability to design, deploy, and operate cutting-edge infrastructure—from very high-speed terrestrial networks and subsea cables to landing stations—strengthening its position as a global leader and establishing itself as a key partner in building tomorrow’s digital world.

With its extensive expertise in submarine infrastructure providing reliable and secure international connectivity, Orange holds a unique position in the sector, notably through its subsidiary Orange Marine, which handles the laying and maintenance of submarine cables. Additionally, Orange Wholesale operates a strategic network of cable landing points across the Group’s territories, facilitating interconnection between submarine cables and terrestrial networks.