Submarine fiber optic cable to connect Canary Islands and Morocco

Sunday 24 August 2025 - 08:50

By: Sahili Aya

Submarine fiber optic cable to connect Canary Islands and Morocco

The Spanish telecommunications company Islalink has announced the launch of a major project to lay a new generation submarine fiber optic cable linking southern Morocco with the Canary Islands. With an investment of nearly €49 million, part of which is financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB), the initiative is seen as a crucial step in strengthening digital connectivity between Africa and Europe.

The cable will start from Arinaga in southern Gran Canaria, pass through the port of Gran Tarajal on Fuerteventura, and reach southern Morocco, with potential landing points in Tarfaya or Boujdour. Construction work is expected to begin in 2025, with the official connection scheduled for 2026.

Canalink, a joint venture involving Islalink, is leading the project. In February 2025, technical teams carried out on-site inspections in Tarfaya to determine the optimal landing point. The entire development is projected to take around 42 months.

In parallel, Canalink is building the “Orient Island Ring”, a submarine cable system connecting Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura, which could eventually be extended toward Morocco. This effort comes in addition to Islalink’s existing infrastructure, which already links Tenerife with mainland Spain and Asilah in Morocco.

According to local authorities, this project will boost digital transformation, expand internet capacity, and reinforce economic and technological ties between Europe, the Canary Islands, and North Africa.