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A new subsea fiber optic cable connecting the Canary Islands to Morocco is set to play a major role in Atlantic connectivity, Spanish media reported.
The project is being spearheaded by Spanish company Islalink in collaboration with Canalink, an operator linked to the Island Council of Tenerife and the Technological and Renewable Energy Institute (ITER), Okdiario reports.
The cable will begin at the port of Arinaga on Gran Canaria, pass through Gran Tarajal in Fuerteventura, and land on the Moroccan coast, with final landing points expected near Tarfaya or Boujdour.
With a total budget of €49 million, the initiative has secured €20 million in funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB). An initial 7.5 million dirhams has already been allocated for feasibility studies.
The cable, expected to be completed by 2028, will be laid over a 42-month period and is part of the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF-Digital) program. The project aims to enhance digital cohesion, improve cybersecurity, and facilitate intercontinental data exchange.
The new link is anticipated to increase internet speed and capacity, attract data centers and tech infrastructure and provide alternative communication routes to strengthen network resilience.
It also forms part of a broader strategy to diversify the region’s digital infrastructure, including the Orient Island Ring, an interconnection network linking Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura, with plans to extend to mainland Africa.
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