Alpal-2

Overview

Alpal-2 is a submarine cable system spanning 312 kilometres across the western Mediterranean Sea, connecting Algeria and Spain. The cable serves a bilateral corridor between North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, providing a direct link between the two countries.

Route and Landings

In Algeria, the cable lands at El Djamila. In Spain, the landing point is Ses Covetes. These two terminals define the ends of the system across the western Mediterranean.

Ownership and Operators

Alpal-2 is jointly owned by four companies: Algerie Telecom, Orange, Sparkle, and Telxius. Algerie Telecom is the Algerian state telecommunications operator, while Orange is a major French-headquartered international carrier. Sparkle, a subsidiary of Telecom Italia, operates a broad international wholesale network, and Telxius is the infrastructure arm of the Telefónica group.

Technical Profile

Alpal-2 has a total cable length of 312 km, reflecting the relatively short crossing between the Algerian and Spanish coasts in this part of the Mediterranean.

Status and Timeline

Alpal-2 entered service in 2002 and continues to operate as part of the Algeria–Spain corridor.

Regional Context

The Algeria–Spain corridor is served by a growing number of cable systems. Alpal-2 is one of the earlier systems in this corridor, predating larger regional infrastructure such as the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) system landing in Spain and newer planned cables including Africa-1 and the Medusa Submarine Cable System, which both involve Algeria and Spain and are expected to reach service in 2026. Systems such as 2Africa, Grace Hopper, and Sol also land in Spain, reflecting the country's position as a hub for Mediterranean and Atlantic connectivity.

Recent measurements show an average round-trip latency of 48.2 ms over Alpal-2, with a best recorded figure of 43.4 ms across 25 ping tests in the last 60 days.

Strategic Role

Alpal-2 provides a direct submarine link between El Djamila in Algeria and Ses Covetes in Spain, supporting telecommunications connectivity across the western Mediterranean. With four distinct owners representing both Algerian and European carriers, the cable offers a shared platform for bilateral traffic exchange in a corridor that has seen continued investment in new submarine infrastructure since the system first entered service.