Canalink has completed the deep-sea deployment phase of the Atlántica project after finishing the last cable landing at Playa Blanca, in Lanzarote. The cable-laying vessel Teliri has thus wrapped up the laying work assigned to it under this initiative, with a total of 553 kilometers of submarine cable deployed to strengthen the connections between Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote.
Atlántica in 20 seconds
- Canalink has deployed 553 kilometers of submarine cable between the eastern islands.
- The project connects Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote via two routes.
- The budget totals €34 million, with €23 million coming from CEF Digital funding.
- The deep-sea deployment has finished, but land-based work and several cable landings remain.
- The network aims to increase capacity and provide alternative routes in case of incidents.
The Atlántica project is now entering a new phase. Although the deep-water cable laying has already finished, various onshore works still need to be completed to connect the submarine infrastructure to the telecommunications network and prepare it for entry into service.
Canalink is a public company under the Cabildo of Tenerife, operating through the Technological Institute of Renewable Energies (ITER). The company is developing the project to strengthen connectivity between the eastern islands and increase the archipelago’s communications capacity.
The 553 kilometers of deployed cable are equivalent, according to the company itself, to a distance of close to 1,300 football fields. The figure gives a sense of the physical scale of an infrastructure that will be installed under the sea and will later need to be integrated with onshore stations and ducts.
Two routes connecting the eastern islands
Atlántica comprises two separate routes. The eastern route connects Ojos de Garza, in Gran Canaria, with Puerto del Rosario, in Fuerteventura, and Playa Honda, in Lanzarote.
The western route links Barranco de Tenoya, also in Gran Canaria, with Corralejo, in Fuerteventura, and Playa Blanca, in Lanzarote. This last point was the site of the final cable landing carried out by the Teliri as part of the deep-sea deployment work.
The configuration makes it possible to create new communication routes between the islands and increase available capacity. Canalink also presents the infrastructure as a way to improve communications resilience, by having alternative routes available in case of incidents on any one of the links.
The project also includes the Costa Calma branch, deployed earlier, which adds another connection point with Fuerteventura. That work was funded by Spain’s Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
The offshore work required the cable-laying vessel Teliri, supported by auxiliary vessels and specialized crews. With the Playa Blanca cable landing complete, the ship has finished all the laying work planned under Atlántica, according to Canalink.
For Rubén Molowny, the company’s CEO, the end of the Teliri’s operations marks the move into a different phase of the project, focused on completing the necessary onshore infrastructure. The executive also highlighted the technical and logistical complexity of deploying hundreds of kilometers of submarine cable.
Work remains before the network can enter service
The completion of the offshore cable laying does not mean Atlántica is already operational. Canalink still has to complete various tasks to connect the cables to the onshore infrastructure.
The remaining work includes the shore-end operations, which bring the submarine cable ashore at Ojos de Garza, Tinoca, and Corralejo. Two drilling operations are also planned, one in Gran Canaria and one in Fuerteventura, along with the buried ducts needed to complete the onshore routes.
The project also involves fitting out the telecommunications stations, or CLS (Cable Landing Stations), associated with the seven landing points. These facilities are needed to physically connect the submarine system to the onshore networks and complete the infrastructure before it enters service.
The 553 kilometers of cable therefore mark the end of the offshore deployment phase, but not the end of Atlántica. The next stage will focus on finishing the onshore connections and preparing the facilities so the new capacity can be integrated into the communications network.
The project has a total budget of €34 million. Of that amount, €23 million is funded by the European Union through the CEF Digital program, which supports strategic digital infrastructure.
The project’s European dimension also reflects the importance of submarine connections for island territories. In the Canary Islands’ case, cable links enable high-capacity communications between the islands and with the outside world, while having alternative routes can reduce dependence on a single path.
This is not Canalink’s only expansion effort in recent years: the company has also surveyed a new submarine cable route between Tenerife and El Hierro, part of a broader push to strengthen the archipelago’s digital resilience.
Canalink currently provides connectivity services to operators such as Vodafone, MasOrange, and Maroc Telecom, among others. The company is owned by the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife and focuses its activity on submarine telecommunications infrastructure and solutions.
The completion of the Atlántica cable laying adds new infrastructure to that network. The next goal will be to complete the onshore work at the various landing points and the telecommunications stations so the cables deployed under the sea can be connected to the onshore networks.
For the archipelago, the project means having infrastructure designed to meet the growing digital needs of Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote. The effective capacity the new network will provide will, however, depend on the completion of the onshore facilities and their subsequent entry into service.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many kilometers of submarine cable has Canalink deployed?
The Atlántica project totals 553 kilometers of submarine cable deployed between Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote.
Which islands does the Atlántica project connect?
Atlántica includes connections between Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote via an eastern route and a western route.
How much does the Atlántica project cost?
The total budget comes to €34 million, of which €23 million is funded by the European Union through the CEF Digital program.
Is the new submarine cable already operational?
Not yet. Canalink has finished the offshore cable laying, but shore-end work, drilling, ducting, and work on the telecommunications stations remain before the infrastructure is complete and can enter service.
