Aletar: A regional submarine cable linking Egypt and Syria
The Aletar submarine cable connects
Alexandria, Egypt, to
Tartous, Syria, spanning a distance of approximately 787 kilometers. As of GeoCables records, the cable has been operational since 1997 and is listed as in service, with ownership shared among Liban Telecom, Syrian Telecommunications Establishment, and Telecom Egypt. While specific details about its design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology are not publicly disclosed, Aletar plays a role in regional telecommunications, linking two key landing points in the eastern Mediterranean.
What makes Aletar noteworthy is its age and the lack of detailed technical disclosures, which is unusual for submarine cables in active service. Additionally, latency measurements from live probes reveal significant differences between theoretical and real-world performance, highlighting the complexities of end-to-end internet routing.
Quick facts
| Cable name | Aletar |
| Length | 787 km |
| Ready for service | 1997 (GeoCables database) |
| Owners | Liban Telecom, Syrian Telecommunications Establishment, Telecom Egypt |
| Status | In service |
| Design capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points | Alexandria (Egypt), Tartous (Syria) |
Route
The Aletar cable connects Alexandria, a major telecommunications hub in Egypt, to Tartous, a coastal city in Syria. Alexandria is a landing site for several other submarine cables, including
FLAG Europe-Asia (FEA),
Hawk,
IMEWE, and
SeaMeWe-4, making it a critical node in the global network. Similarly, Tartous hosts other cables such as
BERYTAR,
Medusa Submarine Cable System, and
UGARIT, positioning it as an important gateway for Syria's connectivity. The route traverses the eastern Mediterranean, a region known for its dense network of submarine cables.
Why it was built and what it carries
The Aletar cable was likely built to enhance connectivity between Egypt and Syria, providing a direct link for telecommunications and internet traffic. Its construction in 1997 aligns with a period of rapid expansion in submarine cable infrastructure to meet growing demand for international bandwidth. While specific details about its traffic or capacity are not disclosed, it can be inferred that the cable supports voice, data, and internet services for both countries.
History: what can be established
GeoCables records indicate that Aletar became ready for service in 1997, but no conflicting dates have surfaced in publicly available industry sources. This places the cable among the older systems still in operation today. Its continued service suggests that it has been maintained adequately or upgraded over time, although the absence of technical disclosures makes it impossible to confirm the specifics of any upgrades.
Capacity and technology
Publicly available data does not confirm the design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or technology used in the Aletar cable. Without operator documentation, attributing these characteristics would be speculative. Given its age, it is plausible that the cable originally employed older optical technologies, but it may have undergone upgrades to remain functional in today's high-bandwidth environment.
Latency: the physics
The theoretical one-way light propagation latency over Aletar's 787 km wet segment is approximately 3.9 milliseconds, with a round-trip time (RTT) floor of 7.7 milliseconds. However, live measurements from remote probes show significantly higher RTTs: Alexandria to Tartous ranges from 74.9 ms to 82.3 ms, while Tartous to Alexandria ranges from 76.5 ms to 77.5 ms. These discrepancies are attributable to additional latency introduced by land-based connections, terminal equipment, and internet routing, which are not part of the submarine cable itself.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
If Aletar were to experience a fault, redundancy would likely be provided by other cables landing at Alexandria and Tartous. At Alexandria, alternatives include FLAG Europe-Asia (FEA), Hawk, IMEWE, and SeaMeWe-4, while Tartous is served by BERYTAR, Medusa Submarine Cable System, and UGARIT. Standard industry practices for submarine cable repair would involve locating the fault using underwater survey equipment, deploying a cable repair vessel, and splicing the damaged section. Repairs can take weeks depending on the nature of the fault and weather conditions.
Bottom line
- Aletar is a submarine cable connecting Alexandria, Egypt, to Tartous, Syria, spanning 787 km.
- Operational since 1997, it is owned by Liban Telecom, Syrian Telecommunications Establishment, and Telecom Egypt.
- Technical details such as design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology are not publicly disclosed.
- Theoretical latency is approximately 7.7 ms RTT over the wet segment, but live measurements show significantly higher values.
- Redundancy is provided by several other cables at both landing points.