Canary Islands Strengthen Digital Network with New Subsea Cable
Canalink is spearheading the BASE 6 project, an underwater fiber optic cable connecting Tenerife and El Hierro, to significantly improve communication and strengthen the digital network of the western Canary Islands.
The western Canary Islands have long faced communication challenges due to their reliance on a limited number of connections. This issue is now being addressed with a new underwater fiber optic cable. Canalink, a public company linked to the Tenerife government through the Technological and Renewable Energy Institute (ITER), is spearheading this vital project to strengthen the archipelago's digital network.
The project, named BASE 6, involves a direct 328-kilometer cable connecting Tenerife and El Hierro. Its main goal is to establish Tenerife as a central hub for telecommunications, serving La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma. This network is designed to handle up to 5 terabits of data per second and is expected to last for 25 years. It represents one of the most significant technological investments for these "green islands" over the next decade.
The cable will begin in Las Caletillas, Candelaria (Tenerife), where Canalink already has land-based infrastructure that will connect with the main network and other international cables reaching the island. On the El Hierro side, the cable will come ashore at El Salto beach in Tamaduste. This will require horizontal drilling to bury the cable 10 meters below sea level, using 147 square meters of public coastal land. This phase of the work is estimated to cost around 917,000 euros and take about twelve weeks, depending on weather conditions.
From a technical standpoint, the drilling will go through hard volcanic rock. A protective pipe will be placed approximately 15 meters under the seabed to ensure the cable's stability against ocean currents and waves. Project documents highlight that the environmental impact will be minimal, given that the infrastructure is underground and the protective pipe is quite narrow, about 12.5 centimeters in diameter.
This new infrastructure will create a direct and backup connection between Tenerife and El Hierro, reducing the islands' dependence on single links and significantly improving communication security for the smaller islands. The system is also designed to allow for future extensions to La Palma and La Gomera. Currently, the project is undergoing administrative approvals, and its final construction depends on obtaining all the necessary permits.