Catalonia to connect with world's second longest fiber optic submarine cable

Catalonia will be connected to the second longest submarine fiber optic cable in the world in 2023. This 37,000km-long cable will connect Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, as part of the 2Africa, one of the most important projects in this field. The project is promoted by Facebook and major international telecommunications operators such as China Mobile International, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, STC, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC.

According to Catalonia’s President, Quim Torra, “this infrastructure will allow Catalonia to become a beacon of attraction for large investments by world’s leading internet operators and providers". "2Africa will also generate international business opportunities for the Catalan digital ecosystem and guarantee another step towards economic recovery and the creation of quality employment", said President Torra.

Currently, 99% of intercontinental Internet traffic uses submarine fiber optic cables, which are an indispensable infrastructure for the development of the present and future digital society.

Due to its resistance towards meteorological difficulties, its lower latency and larger bandwidth, the submarine cable is one of the most reliable infrastructures. It is the most suitable one to guarantee the quality of content such as video in streaming, gaming or finance, among other digital services.

The inclusion of Catalonia as one of the connection points of 2Africa route is the result of the Government’s strategy to provide Catalonia with first-class digital infrastructures to position the country as the leading digital hub in southern Europe and a pole for international investment attraction. As President Torra stated, this telecommunications cable is "a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of the digital revolution, in which Catalonia must also lead”.

Source: Government of Catalonia and Catalan News