The Media Line: Wired for Renewal: Syria’s First Subsea Internet Link Marks a Turning Point

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Wired for Renewal: Syria’s First Subsea Internet Link Marks a Turning Point

The Tartus agreement with Spain’s Medusa is set to boost capacity, lower costs, and restore Syria’s place on regional data routes

By Rizik Alabi/The Media Line

[DAMASCUS] The Syrian Telecommunications Company signed an agreement in Tartus with Spain’s Medusa to lay Syria’s first international submarine cable through the Mediterranean Sea, a project officials say will directly connect the country to the global internet for the first time. The deal, concluded at a ceremony attended by representatives from both sides, is intended to boost speed and reliability, reduce dependence on overland transit, and restore Syria’s role in regional connectivity routes after years of disruption caused by war and sanctions.

According to the Syrian Ministry of Communications, the project will “improve the quality of internet services and increase the international capacity for data transmission,” changes that are expected to strengthen connection speed and stability across the country. The ministry and sector analysts say a direct maritime path should also lower costs over time by cutting out regional intermediary networks that have made service vulnerable to outages and political pressure.

The move comes as Middle East states race to expand submarine systems that carry most international data traffic. Industry estimates typically put the share of global internet flows carried by undersea cables above 95%, making resilient landing points and diversified routes critical for national economies, governments, and private networks. Before the war, Syria relied heavily on terrestrial links and satellite connectivity, both more exposed to physical breaks, border politics, and weather.

Observers say the agreement also has strategic weight: reconnecting to a Mediterranean backbone could reintegrate Syria into regional digital corridors that link Europe, North Africa, and West Asia, after a decade of relative isolation from major buildouts. Policymakers and investors view international bandwidth as a prerequisite for data centers, cloud services, and modern public administration.

Experts in the digital economy add that new capacity can catalyze private investment and government transformation projects. The ministry’s vision aligns with that view: better throughput and latency can support e-government services, education platforms, telemedicine, and export-oriented startups.

Engineer Alaa Al-Baghdadi, a specialist in communications network engineering, told The Media Line that the project represents “a qualitative leap in Syria’s telecommunications infrastructure,” explaining that the submarine cable “will restore Syria’s natural position on the regional connectivity map and provide unprecedented internet speeds and capacities domestically.” Al-Baghdadi added that “connecting the country directly to the global network opens the door to digital transformation projects and electronic services, and gives the business sector greater ability to compete and expand into external markets.”

According to Al-Baghdadi, Syria’s entry into the system of submarine cables “represents a pivotal moment in regaining its regional digital presence.” He explained that “the project is not merely a technical development, but a step toward building digital independence, especially after years of reliance on limited transit routes.” He also cautioned that “the success of the maritime connection requires completing the modernization of the local infrastructure and ensuring the technical and security protection of these sensitive networks, so that the opportunity does not turn into a new challenge.”

Regionally, competition to host landings and east-west trunk lines has intensified as countries position themselves as hubs between Europe and Asia. For Syria, a direct subsea plug-in could reduce reliance on neighboring states’ networks, giving Damascus greater operational control over routing and resilience. Analysts note that sovereign control of landing facilities often translates into more room to negotiate traffic terms and manage outages or cable maintenance without third-party bottlenecks.

The agreement also signals a new phase in rebuilding Syria’s digital backbone. With the country seeking to move forward from years of conflict, planners argue that reliable bandwidth is as foundational as power and transport for economic recovery. If executed as described, the cable could support emerging businesses in cloud computing, internet services, and smart applications that depend on high speeds and lower costs.

At the same time, engineering, economic, and political hurdles remain. Maritime builds require specialized vessels, permits, security, and robust domestic backhaul. The benefits will hinge on last-mile upgrades, competitive wholesale pricing, and safeguards for critical infrastructure. Still, sector observers view the launch of Syria’s first subsea connection as a clear signal that the country intends to rejoin the wider technological landscape—moving from aspiration to implementation.