Gulf Bridge International (GBI) activated the first ever terrestrial fiber optic link connecting all the countries of the Gulf to Europe via Iraq and Turkey.
The new GBI North Route provides connectivity from the cable landing station at Al Faw, in the south of Iraq, crossing Iraq and Turkey to Istanbul, and onward to Frankfurt in Germany.
“GBI’s route through Iraq and Turkey represents a major milestone for both regional and international communications,” said Ahmed Mekky, Board Member and CEO of GBI. “This more direct route will lead to faster connectivity via lower latency times, and the diversity we offer will reduce the likelihood of a reoccurrence of the three day internet outages of 2008. This investment is in line with our vision to connect the world to the Gulf and strongly underpins the continued ICT development across a region home to one sixth the world’s population. In addition, Iraq is now emerging as a modern communications hub, with significant implications for the nation’s economy and long-term development.”
