EMC West-2: Mediterranean and Red Sea connectivity
The EMC West-2 submarine cable is a 3978 km fiber-optic system connecting
Ashkelon in Israel,
Haql in Saudi Arabia,
Tympaki in Greece, and
Marseille in France. Owned by EMC Subsea Cable Company Limited, it is listed as operational and serves as a key link between Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. The cable is part of the EMC family, which includes
EMC West-1, and shares landing points with numerous other systems, particularly in Marseille, a major global hub for submarine cables.
What stands out about EMC West-2 is the absence of publicly disclosed technical details such as design capacity, fiber pair count, and supplier information. Additionally, while the GeoCables database records its ready-for-service (RFS) year as 2027, the cable is listed as in service, raising questions about potential discrepancies in documentation or early deployment.
Quick facts
| Name | EMC West-2 |
| Length | 3978 km |
| Ready-for-service year | 2027 (GeoCables database) |
| Owner | EMC Subsea Cable Company Limited |
| Status | Listed as in service |
| Design capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points | Ashkelon (Israel), Haql (Saudi Arabia), Marseille (France), Tympaki (Greece) |
Route
EMC West-2 spans the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, connecting four landing points:
- **Ashkelon, Israel**: Located near the Mediterranean coast, Ashkelon is also a landing site for
Israel Coasting 1 (IC-1).
- **Haql, Saudi Arabia**: Situated on the Red Sea, Haql hosts EMC West-1 and
Saudi Vision cables.
- **Marseille, France**: A global submarine cable hub with connections to over a dozen systems, including
2Africa,
PEACE Cable, and
SeaMeWe-4.
- **Tympaki, Greece**: A landing site for EMC West-1, 2Africa, and
India Europe Xpress (IEX).
The route enables connectivity between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, leveraging Marseille's strategic importance and Haql's proximity to regional markets.
Why it was built and what it carries
EMC West-2 was likely built to enhance regional and intercontinental connectivity between Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Its landing points suggest a focus on supporting high-capacity data traffic for businesses, governments, and internet service providers in these regions. The cable complements EMC West-1 and other systems in the Mediterranean and Red Sea corridors, offering additional bandwidth and redundancy.
History: what can be established
The GeoCables database lists EMC West-2's ready-for-service year as 2027, but the cable is recorded as in service. This discrepancy could result from early activation of specific segments, incomplete updates to public records, or an error in documentation. Publicly available sources do not clarify this conflict.
Capacity and technology
No public information is available on EMC West-2's design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or underlying technology. Without operator disclosures, these details cannot be reliably inferred. Given its regional importance, the cable likely employs modern optical transmission technologies, but specifics remain unknown.
Latency: the physics
The theoretical one-way light propagation latency over EMC West-2's 3978 km wet segment is approximately 19.5 ms, with a round-trip time (RTT) floor of 39.0 ms. Real-world latency is higher due to factors such as land tails, terminal equipment, and routing.
Live measurements from remote probes provide insight into end-to-end latency:
- **Haql to Marseille**: Minimum 64.0 ms, average 92.9 ms.
- **Minsk to Marseille**: Minimum 47.4 ms, average 49.7 ms.
- **Odessa to Marseille**: Minimum 66.4 ms, average 68.9 ms.
- **Sydney to Marseille**: Minimum 267.9 ms, average 278.3 ms.
These values reflect the full internet path, not the cable alone, and include terrestrial and network routing delays.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
In the event of a failure, redundancy is provided by other cables landing at the same points. For example:
- **Ashkelon**: Israel Coasting 1 (IC-1) offers alternative connectivity.
- **Haql**: EMC West-1 and Saudi Vision cables can provide backup.
- **Marseille**: Over a dozen systems, including 2Africa, SeaMeWe-4, and PEACE Cable, ensure strong redundancy.
- **Tympaki**: EMC West-1, 2Africa, and India Europe Xpress (IEX) offer alternatives.
Repair logistics for submarine cables typically involve specialized vessels equipped to locate, retrieve, and repair damaged sections. These operations can take weeks, depending on the nature of the fault and weather conditions.
Bottom line
- EMC West-2 connects Israel, Saudi Arabia, Greece, and France over a 3978 km route.
- Owned by EMC Subsea Cable Company Limited, it is listed as in service despite a recorded RFS year of 2027.
- Technical details such as design capacity, fiber pairs, and supplier are not publicly disclosed.
- Theoretical RTT latency over the wet segment is 39.0 ms, but real-world measurements are higher.
- Redundancy is supported by numerous cables at the landing points.