Mellieha, Malta

Mellieha, Malta: Submarine Cable Landing Point

Mellieha is a landing point on the island of Malta, a small island nation positioned at the center of the Mediterranean Sea. Two submarine cables come ashore at Mellieha, making it one of the more active landing points in the country. The cables landing here connect Malta to destinations spanning the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East, East Africa, South Asia, and Western Europe, establishing Mellieha as a node in both regional and intercontinental submarine cable corridors.

The two cables at Mellieha — the PEACE Cable and the Medusa Submarine Cable System — together reach a combined roster of countries including Egypt, Cyprus, France, Kenya, Pakistan, the Maldives, Algeria, Greece, and Italy. This breadth of connectivity places Mellieha within circuits that run from the western Mediterranean eastward through the Suez corridor and onward toward the Indian Ocean, as well as within shorter Mediterranean regional loops linking European and North African shores.

Cables Landing at Mellieha, Malta

PEACE Cable is a 25,000 km system that reached ready-for-service status in 2022. Beyond Malta, PEACE Cable connects Cyprus, Egypt, France, Kenya, the Maldives, and Pakistan. Its considerable length reflects a route that extends well beyond the Mediterranean, running through the Red Sea corridor and into the Indian Ocean to reach East Africa and South Asia. Malta's position on this system places Mellieha on one of the longer transoceanic cable routes serving the region.

Medusa Submarine Cable System is an 8,760 km system with a ready-for-service date of 2026. The cable links Malta with Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, and Italy. This configuration describes a Mediterranean-focused route, connecting the northern and southern shores of the sea while also tying in key eastern Mediterranean hubs. As a 2026 system, Medusa represents a newer addition to Malta's submarine cable portfolio at the time of its projected service entry.

Regional Context

Malta hosts eight submarine cables distributed across seven landing points. Mellieha shares the distinction of hosting two cables with Bahar ic-Caghaq, while the remaining five Maltese landing points — Balluta Bay, Golden Bay, Mgarr ix-Xini, St. George's Bay, and St. Paul's Bay — each host a single cable. This places Mellieha and Bahar ic-Caghaq at the top of Malta's landing points by cable count.

Network Role

Mellieha functions as a two-cable hub within Malta's submarine cable infrastructure. Its cables serve distinct geographic purposes: PEACE Cable enables long-haul connectivity toward East Africa and the Indian Ocean basin, while Medusa provides Mediterranean regional reach across multiple southern European and North African nations. The combination means Mellieha serves both intercontinental and intra-Mediterranean traffic flows from the same landing point.

Within the broader submarine cable graph of the central Mediterranean, Mellieha's dual-cable status connects Malta to a wide set of countries — over ten in total across both systems — spanning three continents. This positions Mellieha, alongside Bahar ic-Caghaq, as one of the two most connected landing points on the island.