Cables
Prysmian has completed the acquisition of Xtera Topco), a UK-and U.S.-based specialist in turnkey submarine telecom systems.
The closing marks a step in Prysmian’s expansion in submarine telecommunications, combining Xtera’s proprietary repeater technology and expertise in regional and long-haul systems with Prysmian’s leadership in submarine cable technology, manufacturing and installation.
The transaction, announced in December 2025, implies an enterprise value of $65 million. The acquisition comes at a time of growing global demand for new submarine telecom infrastructure, driven by AI, cloud computing and the rapid expansion of data centers.
In September, Xtera was selected by EXA Infrastructure to provide the optical engineering and wet and dry plant for EXA Meridian, a new 6,552 km transatlantic submarine cable connecting New Jersey in the U.S. with Brean in the UK.
Designed with 24 fiber pairs and more than 500 Tbps of scalable capacity, the system is targeted to enter service in 2029.
The cables for EXA Meridian will be manufactured at Prysmian’s submarine telecom center of excellence in Nordenham, Germany, where the Group is doubling production capacity to support growing market demand and looking for up to 300 new employees.
Previously known as NSW, the Nordenham site has manufactured submarine cables since 1899 and represents a strategic European industrial asset for submarine telecom cable production.
