Cabo Verde Telecom Domestic Submarine Cable Phase 3

Overview

The Cabo Verde Telecom Domestic Submarine Cable Phase 3 is an intra-national submarine cable system operating entirely within Cape Verde. It connects multiple islands of the Cape Verde archipelago, providing domestic connectivity across this Atlantic island nation. The system is the third phase of a domestic submarine cable program developed by Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT).

Route and Landings

The cable has eight landing points, all located within Cape Verde. These landings are at Nova Sintra, Porto Novo, Praia, Sal Rei, Sao Filipe, Sao Pedro, Tarrafal de Santiago, and Vila do Maio. Together, these landings span several islands of the archipelago, extending submarine connectivity to a broad range of island communities.

Ownership and Operators

The cable is wholly owned and operated by Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT), the national telecommunications operator of Cape Verde. CVT has been the driving force behind the multi-phase domestic submarine cable program that has progressively expanded inter-island connectivity across the archipelago.

Status and Timeline

The Cabo Verde Telecom Domestic Submarine Cable Phase 3 entered service in 2011, making it ready for service more than a decade after the second phase of the program was completed.

Regional Context

Cape Verde's position as an archipelago in the central Atlantic has made submarine cables the natural solution for domestic inter-island communications. Phase 3 sits within a broader sequence of CVT-led domestic cable investments: the first phase entered service in 1997 and the second in 2002, with Phase 3 continuing that expansion in 2011. The corridor is also served by international systems connecting Cape Verde to wider networks, including EllaLink, which entered service in 2021, and the Senegal Horn of Africa Regional Express (SHARE) Cable, which became operational in 2023. Phase 3 is distinct from these in that it addresses exclusively domestic inter-island connectivity rather than international links.

Strategic Role

By landing at eight points across Cape Verde's islands — including Praia, Sao Filipe, Porto Novo, Nova Sintra, Sal Rei, Sao Pedro, Tarrafal de Santiago, and Vila do Maio — this cable extends reliable submarine connectivity to a wide spread of island communities. The breadth of its landing points reflects CVT's effort to ensure that multiple populated islands benefit from direct submarine cable access rather than relying solely on earlier phases of the network.