Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Co. Ltd. (TASE: BEZQ) has won the Telecom Italia Sparkle-Google tender to lay the cable across Israel linking Europe and Asia. The cable will be part of the Telecom Italia Sparkle global backbone comprising 540,000 kilometers of terrestrial fiber and international sub-marine cables. Bezeq prevailed over HOT Telecommunication Systems Ltd. (TASE: HOT) in the final bid for the tender with IBC/Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE:CEL; TASE:CEL) and Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR) also bidding in the earlier stages. The terrestrial fiber section of the cable that Bezeq will lay using the latest and most advanced technology will extend from the Mediterranean coast to Eilat and serve as a potential bypass to Egypt, linking Europe to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf in the existing global network. The tender includes two separate cables with one backing up the other but under the terms of the tender Sparkle is not committed to buying both cables. As part of the project a landing station will be built, connecting the sub-marine and terrestrial cables, somewhere between Haifa and Rishon Lezion, which will be subject to a separate tender. Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 11, 2020 © Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2020
