View source for I-ME-WE

{{short description|Submarine communications cable system between India and France}}
{{Infobox Submarine communications cable
| cable_name       =I-ME-WE
| map              =
| owners           =Consortium
| landing_points   =

| technology       =[[DWDM]]
| design_capacity  =5.6&nbsp;Tbit/s
| current_capacity =
| length           =12,091 km
| topology         =
| first_use_date   = 2010
}}
'''I-ME-WE''' (India-Middle East-Western Europe) is a {{convert|12091|km|adj=on}}<ref>{{ cite news | url = http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=8&subLeft=2&chklogin=N&autono=313560&tab=r | title = Alcatel-Lucent to build undersea cable | publisher = Business Standard | date = 2008-02-13 | access-date = 2008-02-13 }}</ref> [[submarine communications cable|submarine communications cable system]] linking Europe and India via the Middle East. At launch, the design capacity was 3.84&nbsp;Tbit/s, but after upgrades by [[Mitsubishi Electric]] in 2016, the new design capacity was rated at 5.6&nbsp;Tbit/s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC News Releases Mitsubishi Electric to Upgrade IMEWE Cable System |url=https://www.mitsubishielectric.com/news/2016/0519-b.html |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=www.mitsubishielectric.com}}</ref> The cable entered service in December 2010.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=IMEWE submarine cable launched for Commercial use {{!}} Sparkle |url=https://www.tisparkle.com/media/press-release/imewe-submarine-cable-launched-for-commercial-use |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=www.tisparkle.com}}</ref>

The cable consists of three fiber pairs, one of which is a terrestrial link connecting [[Alexandria]] and [[Suez]] in Egypt. The contract for construction and maintenance of the cable was awarded to [[Alcatel-Lucent|Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks]] (ASN), supported by [[NEC]] as subcontractor, at a total cost of US$480 million.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=IMEWE - Submarine Networks |url=https://www.submarinenetworks.com/en/systems/asia-europe-africa/imewe |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=www.submarinenetworks.com}}</ref>

== Landing points and operators ==
The IMEWE consortium comprises nine telecom companies across eight countries.<ref name=":1" />
{| class="wikitable"
|+I-ME-WE Cable Landing Points
!Location
!Operator & Technical Partner
|-
|[[Marseille]], France
|[[Orange S.A.|Orange S.A]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-12-14 |title=France Telecom-Orange Lights IMEWE |url=https://www.lightreading.com/telecoms-software/france-telecom-orange-lights-imewe |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=LightReading}}</ref>
|-
|[[Catania]], Italy
|[[Telecom Italia Sparkle]]<ref name=":0" />
|-
|[[Tripoli, Lebanon|Tripoli]], Lebanon
|[[Ogero]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-07-06 |title=IMEWE cable goes live in Lebanon after a long wait - Edge Middle East |url=https://www.edgemiddleeast.com/commsmea/11300-imewe-cable-goes-live-in-lebanon-after-a-long-wait |access-date=2024-02-18 |work=Edge Middle East |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|[[Alexandria]], Egypt
[[Suez]], Egypt
|[[Telecom Egypt]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=About TE |url=https://te.eg/wps/portal/te/About/ |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=[[Telecom Egypt]]}}</ref>
|-
|[[Jeddah]], Saudi Arabia
|[[Saudi Telecom Company]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-07-24 |title=STC leads in submarine cable projects in Mideast |url=http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/10096 |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Saudigazette |language=English}}</ref>
|-
|[[Fujairah]], UAE
|[[Etisalat by e&]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-08-29 |title=ANALYSIS: Fujairah SmartHub aiming to spark Middle East growth |url=https://www.capacitymedia.com/article/29ot5w4xoq0dw0lymxt6o/news/analysis-fujairah-smarthub-aiming-to-spark-middle-east-growth |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Capacity Media |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Karachi]], Pakistan
|[[PTCL|Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-12-12 |title=Work on high-capacity sub cable completed |url=https://nation.com.pk/12-Dec-2010/Work-on-highcapacity-sub-cable-completed |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=The Nation |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|[[Mumbai]], India
|[[Bharti Airtel]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-12-10 |title=Airtel launches IMEWE cable system |url=https://www.telecompaper.com/news/airtel-launches-imewe-cable-system--773439 |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=www.telecompaper.com}}</ref>
[[Tata Communications]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-12-29 |title=New India-Middle East-Europe submarine cable launched |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/new-india-middle-east-europe-submarine-cable-launched/story-26rhy8uAS5gJIePgXZGNMI.html |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>
|}

==See also==

Other cable systems following a substantially similar route are:

* [[EIG (cable system)|Europe-India Gateway]] (EIG)
* [[Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe#Segment FLAG Europe Asia (FEA)|FLAG Europe Asia]]
* [[SEA-ME-WE 3]]
* [[SEA-ME-WE 4]]
* [[SEA-ME-WE 5]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.imewecable.com/ Official website]

{{Bharti Enterprises}}
{{Submarine communications cables in the Indian Ocean}}
{{Submarine communications cables in the Mediterranean Sea}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:I-Me-We}}
[[Category:Submarine communications cables in the Arabian Sea]]
[[Category:Submarine communications cables in the Indian Ocean]]
[[Category:Submarine communications cables in the Mediterranean Sea]]
[[Category:Submarine communications cables in the Red Sea]]
[[Category:Bharti Airtel]]
[[Category:2009 establishments in Africa]]
[[Category:2009 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:2009 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:2009 establishments in Maharashtra]]