Apollo East and West: a domestic Greek submarine cable
Apollo East and West is a submarine cable system connecting two locations in Greece:
Korakia and
Pachi. With a total length of 670 kilometers, it is listed as in service and owned by Grid Telecom. While its recorded ready-for-service (RFS) year in the GeoCables database is 2025, the cable is already operational according to its status. This discrepancy raises questions about the timeline of its deployment, which may stem from differences in documentation or updates to the database.
What stands out about Apollo East and West is the lack of publicly disclosed information regarding key technical specifications such as design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, and technology. This opacity is not uncommon in smaller domestic cable systems, which often receive less attention than larger international cables. The cable's route and purpose also highlight its role in connecting critical infrastructure within Greece, rather than serving as a transcontinental link.
Quick facts
| Cable name | Apollo East and West |
| Length | 670 km |
| Ready-for-service year | 2025 (GeoCables database) |
| Owners | Grid Telecom |
| Status | In service |
| Design capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points | Korakia (Greece); Pachi (Greece) |
| Computed one-way latency | ≈ 3.3 ms |
| Computed round-trip latency | ≈ 6.6 ms |
| Live latency measurements | None available |
Route
Apollo East and West connects Korakia and Pachi, two locations within Greece. Korakia is situated on the island of Crete, while Pachi is located on the mainland near the city of Megara. This domestic route spans 670 kilometers and serves as a critical link between Crete and mainland Greece. The corridor is geographically significant as it traverses the Aegean Sea, a region known for its complex underwater terrain. Submarine cable systems in this area often require detailed seabed surveys to identify suitable paths for cable laying and burial.
Why it was built and what it carries
The Apollo East and West cable was likely built to enhance connectivity between Crete and mainland Greece. Crete is a major hub for energy and telecommunications in the region, and improved data links to the mainland are essential for supporting economic activities, digital services, and energy infrastructure. While specific details about the cable's capacity and the type of traffic it carries are not publicly disclosed, it is reasonable to infer that it supports domestic telecommunications, including internet and enterprise data services.
History: what can be established
The GeoCables database records Apollo East and West's ready-for-service year as 2025, but the cable is already listed as in service. This discrepancy could arise from several factors, such as an early commissioning phase, updates to the database lagging behind operational milestones, or differing definitions of "ready-for-service" between operators and data aggregators. Publicly available information does not clarify the exact timeline of its deployment, and Grid Telecom has not disclosed further details about the cable's history.
Capacity and technology
Publicly available information does not specify the design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or technology used in Apollo East and West. Without operator documentation, attributing these values would be speculative. Domestic cables like this often employ high-capacity optical fiber to support growing data demands, but the exact specifications remain unknown for this system.
Latency: the physics
Theoretical latency calculations for Apollo East and West yield a one-way light propagation time of approximately 3.3 milliseconds over its 670-kilometer length. The round-trip time (RTT) for the wet segment is therefore around 6.6 milliseconds. However, real-world latency measurements would be higher due to additional factors such as signal processing delays in terminal equipment, routing inefficiencies, and the latency introduced by land tails connecting the cable to broader networks. No live latency measurements for this cable are currently available.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
If Apollo East and West were to experience a fault, redundancy would likely depend on alternative domestic routes or satellite communications. While the FACTS block does not list specific corridor alternatives, Greece's telecommunications infrastructure includes other submarine cables and terrestrial networks that could provide backup connectivity. Repairs to submarine cables typically involve specialized cable ships equipped with tools to locate, retrieve, and fix damaged segments. The complexity of the repair process depends on factors such as the depth and location of the fault.
Bottom line
- Apollo East and West is a domestic Greek submarine cable connecting Korakia (Crete) and Pachi (mainland).
- Its total length is 670 kilometers, with a theoretical round-trip latency floor of 6.6 milliseconds over the wet segment.
- Owned by Grid Telecom, the cable is listed as in service despite the database recording a ready-for-service year of 2025.
- Publicly available information does not disclose its design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, or technology.
- No live latency measurements or corridor alternatives are documented.