The European Union wants to lay an Internet cable across the Black Sea

The European Union may lay an underwater Internet cable across the Black Sea. By information publication of the Financial Times, this is planned to improve communication with Georgia and reduce dependence on lines that pass through Russia.

The newspaper refers to a document of the European Commission, which states that a cable worth about 45 million euros and a length of about 1,100 kilometers “will connect the EU member states with the Caucasus through the international waters of the Black Sea.” According to the document, the project with an Internet cable is aimed at reducing the region’s dependence on terrestrial fiber optic communications passing through the Russian Federation.

According to the FT, the EU and Georgia announced the need to lay such a cable as early as 2021, but the situation around Ukraine gave the project an additional impetus. However, the timing of its implementation is still unknown. In addition, Vodafone is also exploring the possibility of laying a cable route across the Black Sea. The project, called Kardessa, will connect Ukraine with Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia, and then continue underground, connecting with Armenia, Kazakhstan, and on to Asia.

The European Union also plans to lay a separate electrical cable under the Black Sea as part of the Global Gateway program, which will connect Hungary and Romania with Georgia and Azerbaijan. The aim of this project is to enhance the security of EU supplies.