Prysmian has completed the acquisition of Xtera, a company based in the United Kingdom and the United States specialized in complete underwater telecommunications systems.
The purchase has been realized through the joint venture controlled by Prysmian at 80% and by Fincantieri at 20%, based on an enterprise value of 65 million dollars (58 million euros).
The operation, announced in December 2025, represents a milestone in Prysmian's growth strategy in the underwater telecommunications segment, in a scenario of strong global demand increase for new infrastructures driven by artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and the rapid proliferation of data centers.
With this integration, Xtera's patented repeater technology and its background in regional and long-distance systems join Prysmian's leadership in technology, manufacturing, and installation of underwater cables.
Thanks to this acquisition, Prysmian will be able to cover a broader portion of the value chain and compete for large international connectivity contracts, providing an end-to-end solution that includes the design, production, installation, supervision, and maintenance of underwater telecommunications infrastructures.
In this context, EXA Infrastructure chose Xtera in September to provide the optical engineering and underwater and terrestrial infrastructures for EXA Meridian, a new transatlantic submarine cable of 6,552 kilometers that will link New Jersey (United States) with Brean (United Kingdom).
The system, designed with 24 fiber pairs and a scalable capacity exceeding 500 Tbps, is expected to become operational in 2029.
The cables of EXA Meridian will be produced at Prysmian's center of excellence in underwater telecommunications, located in Nordenham (Germany), where the group is doubling its manufacturing capacity to respond to the increase in demand.
In this expansion plan, the company contemplates the incorporation of up to 300 new professionals at the German facilities.
The Nordenham plant, formerly known as NSW, has been manufacturing underwater cables since 1899 and is a key industrial asset for Europe, reinforcing the group's production capacity following the integration of Xtera's assets and technological capabilities.