Alcatel will build a submarine cable system that will connect Continente, the Azores and Madeira

Alcatel will build and install a submarine cable system connecting the mainland, the Azores and Madeira (CAM). The investment of €154.4 million is scheduled to be completed in 2026. The operation will be carried out by Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP).

The contract for the design, construction, supply, installation and commissioning of a submarine fiber optic telecommunications cable was signed this Wednesday by Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) and Alcatel Submarine Networks.

“Today, more than 95% of all communications and the Internet are supported by submarine cables. We are signing a contract in which we will create the conditions for replacing the communication system on the mainland, the Azores and Madeira,” said the IP president. , Miguel Cruz, in Luse’s statements.

The current system, which has been in operation since 1999, has a throughput of about 300 gigabytes per second, and the new one will have a throughput of about 150 terabytes.

This new Ring CAM system, an investment of 154.4 million euros, will allow for improved communication quality and therefore a “lower price”.

In terms of investment, the maximum funding amount is estimated to be €100 million from the 5G (fifth generation of mobile networks) auction.

In addition, two applications were submitted to CEF-Digital (European Unity Fund).

At the first stage, the project was approved with support of 40.5 million euros.

The remaining portion of the investment was submitted in the second appeal. The results are not yet known.

This project, as noted by Miguel Cruz, includes about 4,000 kilometers of submarine cable and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, although the start date of work is not yet known.

The ring is part of an international communications network that ensures “communication quality” and turns Portugal into an “aggregation node.”

According to IP’s president, the cable also has four entry points into Europe – A Coruña, Salamanca, Badajoz and Seville.

IP, a public company “investment owner”, through IP Telecom, will also be responsible for maintaining CAM Ring.

Once installed, this cable has a service life of approximately 25 years.

After the expiration of the established period, the structure continues to function, but in technological terms it may no longer meet the needs of users.

“In any case, the submarine cables that we are going to lay have levels of predictability and adaptation to increased demand that are assessed as significant,” the IP president emphasized.

The CAM ring will have a Scientific Monitoring and Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) component for seismic detection as well as climate and environmental monitoring in collaboration with the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA).