Gulf Bridge International (GBI) and Vodafone Qatar announced the integration of the GBI cable system as the core link between Vodafone Qatar and other international networks. The milestone is a necessary precursor to Vodafone’s planned terrestrial network launch in Qatar later this year. As the highest capacity cable system in the Middle East, GBI immediately provides seamless and robust global integration for Vodafone, meeting the international demand generated by the successful mobile voice and data offering already launched by the Qatar-based operator.

“Reliable international connectivity is the lifeblood of modern business,” said Ahmed Mekky, Board Member and CEO of GBI. “Vodafone Qatar’s plans for a high-capacity terrestrial network, using GBI to connect onwards to the world, represent a significant step towards establishing Qatar as an international business hub. We are very pleased to be part of making this vision a reality.”

”Integration of GBI into our network marks a significant step in Vodafone Qatar coming of age,” said Vodafone Qatar CEO, Richard Daly. “The people and businesses of Qatar expect Vodafone to bring the same levels of innovation, competitiveness and service to the Gulf as we’ve been doing elsewhere for years. Using GBI, Vodafone Qatar is now able to connect to other Vodafone networks more economically and flexibly than previously, enabling us to leverage our parent company’s strengths and deliver a whole new experience to our customers in Qatar,” he added.

Vodafone’s landing station for GBI, in Dayyan, just north of Doha, is currently operational serving the operator’s needs. The GBI Cable System has a design capacity of up to 5 Terabits per second and connects all the countries of the Gulf in a ring configuration. Outside the Gulf, the cable connects eastwards to Mumbai, India and westwards to Sicily, Italy, with diverse routing to Milan and onwards to London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris and Marseilles.