Cable & Wireless Communications’ Monaco business, Monaco Telecom, has entered into a strategic communications partnership with Gibtelecom, Gibraltar’s leading communications company which is related to the use of the Europe India Gateway (EIG), a subsea cable network which connects England and India.
 
Monaco and Gibraltar, both landing stations on the Europe India Gateway (EIG) submarine cable, are now directly connected to each other and Monaco Telecom has selected Gibtelecom to be its preferred carrier on the EIG system. Monaco Telecom will also provide Gibtelecom with communications capacity to access the European market via Monaco which sits in a strategic position within the Southern European fibre network.
 
Martin Péronnet, CEO of Monaco Telecom, said: “Our companies have been able to leverage their mutual trust into a strong long term partnership. EIG has turned Monaco into a key gateway between Europe and the African and Asian continents. This deal will provide direct and secure access to even more international destinations for our customers and partners. It will further increase Monaco Telecom’s presence in the international data communication market”.
Richard Faucheux, Monaco Telecom’s Director of Carrier Services, said: “This contract further cements Monaco as a popular alternative to Marseille as a landing station of choice for carriers wishing to minimise latency and maximise diversity towards key European destinations such as Milan, Frankfurt, Paris and Zurich.”
 
Gibtelecom’s CEO Tim Bristow said: “This mutually beneficial deal strengthens a longstanding friendship between both companies. The partnership means that, as well as Monaco Telecom leasing some capacity on the EIG cable, Gibtelecom separately acquires a diverse international route to other European destinations, transiting Monaco through the EIG landing station there. This will be the first time in over a century that a communications link from Gibraltar has headed directly east by sea from Gibraltar”.
 
Gibtelecom’s International Director, Rab Paramothayan, added that: “It is exciting to see Gibtelecom’s international business taking off as the Company expands its global network of business partners. There is already other EIG business in the pipeline which will cement Gibtelecom’s position as a small but established international communications player.”