Orange, Free to Fund Subsea Cable Connecting La Reunion-South Africa

French telecoms operators Orange and Free have teamed up to fund a €93 million ($107.82 million) subsea cable connecting the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion with South Africa, the companies said on Wednesday.

• The cable is scheduled to enter service in 2028 and is intended to replace the SAFE cable commissioned in 2002.

• Orange will act as the landing party while subsidiary Orange Marine will deploy the infrastructure designed by Alcatel Submarine Networks.

• The companies did not disclose their respective shares in the project. The EU will contribute to the funding of the project, they said.

($1 = 0.8625 euros)

(Reuters)