Global undersea cable initiative

Express news service

Posted online: Thursday, February 07, 2008 at 0319 hrs IST

NEW DELHI:
Bharti Airtel said on Wednesday that it will set up a high-capacity undersea cable connecting India to France through the Middle East, in association with eight global telecom players with the likes of Etisalat (UAE) and France Telecom (France) by the end of next year.The cable system I-ME-WE (India, Middle East, Western Europe) is likely to be available for service by the end of 2009. The announcement has come within days of damage to three undersea cables, two off the coast of Egypt and one in Middle east. The pact to build the cable from India to France was signed in Rome on Wednesday by all the firms.