Orange Partnered to Build Pisces Subsea Cable System
Orange and Equitix formed a joint venture to develop a new subsea cable network connecting Ireland, France, Spain, and Portugal.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Data Centers
Telecommunications company Orange has teamed up with infrastructure manager Equitix to launch the Pisces subsea cable system. The project, which links four European nations, recently received significant financial support from the European Union.
Why it matters
This infrastructure initiative is backed by the European Union's Digital Global Gateways Strategy, aiming to enhance connectivity and digital integration across Europe. The project leverages both private partnerships and public funding to scale critical network capacity.
The European Union Connecting Europe Facility awarded 18.9 million euros to support the third phase of the Pisces subsea cable system. This subsea infrastructure directly connects landing points across Ireland, France, Spain, and Portugal.
The players
Orange
Orange is a major multinational telecommunications corporation that provides mobile, internet, and business services across Europe and Africa.
Equitix
Equitix is an international infrastructure-focused fund manager that specializes in the acquisition and management of long-term projects.
European Union
The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that provides funding for regional digital and infrastructure development.
The details
Orange established a joint venture with investment manager Equitix to facilitate the construction of the Pisces network. The development is aligned with the broader Digital Global Gateways Strategy, reflecting a collaborative approach to modernizing cross-border digital infrastructure.
Timeline
October 14, 2026: Orange announced the formation of the joint venture to develop the Pisces system.
The Tech Race
The Pisces cable system aligns with Europe's Digital Global Gateways Strategy, signaling a broader push to modernize international network infrastructure. This move reflects an industry-wide shift toward upgrading subsea assets to handle increasing data demand between major European markets.
The expansion of this subsea network is designed to improve long-term data transfer speeds and reliability between the four connected nations. Users in these regions may benefit from more resilient digital services and improved connectivity as the project scales.
The takeaway
Subsea infrastructure investments are increasingly relying on joint ventures between telecom operators and specialized infrastructure funds. These collaborations are vital for meeting the growing demand for stable, high-capacity international data links.
Further reading
For more information on the infrastructure supporting current network capacity, visit the Data Centers section.
