The installation of the CADMOS-2 cable in Lebanon took a concrete step. The cable ship Sophie Germain, operated by Orange Marine, arrived on Sunday 8 November off Nahr Ibrahim–Aqaybeh. Ogero announced the start of work on the new submarine link with Cyprus. Its opening remains conditioned upon completion of the installation and testing.
The site is to replace CADMOS-1, which entered service in 1995. Ogero presents this operation as the arrival of the first new international cable in Lebanon since IMEWE in 2010. The announced objective is to ensure the reliability of links and their connection to European networks. No new subscription rates or guaranteed debit rates for individuals are included with this announcement.
CADMOS-2 cable in Lebanon: pre-opening work
The system will link Lebanon to Cyprus, with two arrival points on the Lebanese coast, according to Ogero. Sophie Germain is in front of Nahr Ibrahim-Aqaybeh. The construction precedes the activation of the link for commercial traffic.
Ogero expressly distinguishes the work at sea from the necessary tests before commissioning. This last step will verify the operation of the completed link. The operator does not give an opening date in its November 8 announcement. It also does not indicate which capacity will be activated on startup.
The distinction counts for users. A submarine cable is part of the channel that connects a subscriber to a service hosted abroad. Terrestrial networks must also transmit data between the coastal station, operator equipment and local connections. The completion of the shipyard does not, therefore, describe the service available in each dwelling.
A project started with Cyprus in December 2022
CADMOS-2 is part of an earlier cooperation between the Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications and Cyprus operator Cyta. On 12 December 2022, both sides signed an agreement in Beirut on the construction and maintenance of the link. Cyta presented the new system as a complement, followed by a replacement of the cable connecting the two countries since 1995.
The initial schedule envisaged entry into service in 2024. The construction site announced in November 2026 therefore comes after this deadline. Ogero does not specify the causes of this delay or the new opening schedule.
In its 2024 annual report, Cyta still described CADMOS-2 as a system at an advanced stage of implementation. The operator included this project in the development of Cyprus’s international connections.
Additional liaison prepared on the Lebanese side
The project also has a documented component in Lebanese public procurement. A fact sheet published on 4 December 2023 by the Public Procurement Authority concerns an additional rescue link associated with CADMOS-2. The General Directorate of Construction and Equipment of the Ministry of Telecommunications provides for an agreement with Ogero on a voluntary basis.
The emergency link is part of the equipment complementary to the international system. The contract document does not specify the dates of delivery or final acceptance.
The announcement of 8 November emphasises both coastal arrivals and the flexibility of the network. Ogero presents the replacement of CADMOS-1 as a means of enhancing its reliability. However, the details of the protections, the rescue capabilities and the mode of shifting traffic are not published in this press release.
What the project does not yet say about subscriptions
The renewal of an international link can improve the transport possibilities. It does not automatically set the speed of a local line. It also depends on access technology, equipment, availability and subscribed supply. No specific replacement program for private lines is announced with the arrival of the vessel.
The same caution applies to prices. The press release does not contain a new fee schedule or commitment to reduce invoices. Trade conditions remain unchanged pending possible tariff decisions.
For both businesses and individuals, the next milestone will be a notice of commencement after testing. The expected information relates to the actual date, the activated capacity and the services that will use the link. On 9 November, Ogero announced the arrival of the cable and the works, without yet announcing their reception or commercial commissioning.
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