LEV (Underwater Cable)

Overview

LEV is a submarine telecommunications cable system in the Mediterranean Sea that connects Italy, Cyprus, and Israel. The system was designed to transfer data at a rate of 20 Gbit/s, initially operating at 5 Gbit/s.

Technical Specifications

* Total cable length: 2,600 km
* Design transmission capacity: 20 Gbit/s
* Initial operational speed: 5 Gbit/s
* Cable composition: A single cable with two optical fiber pairs

Each fiber pair has the initial design capacity of 8 wavelengths of around 1550 nm wavelength, capable of carrying traffic at a data rate of 2.5 Gbit/s each.

Landing Points and Terrestrial Section

The LEV system has landing points in:

* Mazara del Vallo, Province of Trapani, Sicily, Italy
* Yeroskipou near Paphos, Cyprus
* Tel Aviv, Israel

A terrestrial section connects the cable to Catania, Sicily, Italy.

History and Operation

The LEV system began operating in March 1999. Initially, it was designed as a primary communication link between the three countries. However, with the advent of newer and higher-capacity systems like MedNautilus, the LEV system now serves mainly as a backup system.

References

* mednautilus network - Map including LEV Network