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Meta’s 2Africa ‘Pearls’ Extension Halted as Cable Layer Declares Force Majeure

The pause leaves most of the system’s Persian Gulf segment laid on the seabed but unconnected to landing stations.

a cable-laying ship working on the Africa2 project
Image

Overview

  • Alcatel Submarine Networks notified customers it can no longer safely operate in the Persian Gulf, suspending work on the Pearls link that was slated to connect Gulf states with Pakistan and India.
  • The section had been targeted to go live this year, but activation is delayed because onshore landings and final connections are unfinished.
  • Sherwood News reports Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed, and Bloomberg reporting cited by the Times of India says ASN’s ship Ile de Batz is stranded off Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
  • The Red Sea portion previously slipped due to Houthi strikes and permitting issues, and Pearls was intended to offer a substitute route away from that corridor.
  • The conflict is pressuring wider tech infrastructure, with reports of Iranian drone attacks on AWS facilities, and other regional cable projects such as Sea-Me-We 6 and FIG are on hold.