On September 2, 2026, Orange announced a partnership with local operators Telco OI (Free), Réunicable, and La Réunion Connectée to construct ReuNION, a submarine cable linking the French island of La Réunion directly to South Africa. The €93 million ($108 million) project, backed by European Union funding, will deliver a high-capacity, low-latency optical path across the Indian Ocean. The system is scheduled to reach Ready for Service status in 2028 and will replace the aging SAFE cable, which has served the region since 2002.

Replacing Aging Infrastructure

The SAFE (South Africa Far East) cable, commissioned over two decades ago, has provided the primary international broadband connection to La Réunion and Mauritius across its 13,500 km span. Subsea fiber systems typically operate within a 25-year economic and mechanical lifespan, placing SAFE near the end of its viable service window. Without a direct, high-capacity successor, the region would depend on indirect regional loops such as LION and METISS, introducing significant bottleneck risks.

Bandwidth consumption on La Réunion is accelerating due to 4G and 5G mobile expansion, fiber-to-the-home deployment, and growing local cloud adoption. The transition from legacy gigabit-era capacity to ReuNION's 320 Tbps design capacity reflects the scale of demand growth.

Project Structure and Responsibilities

ReuNION brings together European marine and optical specialists to handle wet plant manufacturing, offshore deployment, and terrestrial landing operations. Orange manages the physical cable arrival on La Réunion, including environmental permits, civil engineering at the shore site, construction of a secure Cable Landing Station, and integration into the island's backhaul network.

ASN is contracted to design and manufacture the wet plant, including the 16 fiber pair armor cable and high-power subsea repeaters, adhering to strict European technical and reliability standards. Specialized cable ships will conduct marine route surveys, seabed clearing, deepwater laying, and nearshore burial to protect the cable from commercial fishing and anchor drag.

European Funding and Strategic Positioning

As an Outermost Region of the European Union in the Indian Ocean, La Réunion holds strategic geopolitical importance. Direct EU co-financing reflects the priority of establishing sovereign digital infrastructure connecting European territory to major African financial centers in Durban and Johannesburg.

  • Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Digital): Provides targeted EU grant funding for strategic cross-border and international subsea backbones connecting EU member territories.
  • European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): Contributes regional development funds to align digital infrastructure standards between overseas departments and mainland Europe.

Project Timeline

Following formal execution of consortium agreements in September 2026, the project moves into detailed marine seabed surveys and environmental permitting. Factory manufacturing of the optical wet plant by ASN and civil works preparation by Orange on La Réunion will proceed in parallel, targeting the 2028 Ready for Service milestone.