Israel to build 254 km fibre-optic cable link between Europe and Asia
Israel will build a 254 km (158 mi) fiber-optic cable, connecting the Mediterranean and Red Sea, in order to create a permanent link between Europe and the countries of the Gulf and Asia, according to the finance ministry of Israel. According to the announcement from the finance ministry on Sunday, the fiber-optic cable will be built by the state-owned energy business EAPC (Europe Asia Pipeline Company Ltd.) along the route of an oil pipeline that travels across Israel from the Mediterranean port of Ashkelon to Eilat on the northern Red Sea. Itzik Levy, EAPC Chief Executive, said that the project would position Israel as “a communication land bridge connecting the Gulf countries and Asia to Europe.” According to the Israeli finance ministry, the cable will join subsea cables that connect to Israel's coastline. Any Israeli-licensed telecom business will be allowed to lease it for a 25-year period. The ministry also claimed that the cable would help to monitor any changes in terrai...