Carnival Submarine Network-1 (CSN-1)

Overview

Carnival Submarine Network-1 (CSN-1) is a regional submarine cable system spanning 4,670 kilometres across the eastern Pacific and Caribbean corridors. It connects five countries — Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, and the United States — providing direct submarine connectivity between South America, Central America, North America, and the Gulf of Mexico coast. The system is owned and operated by Telconet, an Ecuador-based telecommunications provider.

Route and Landings

In Colombia, the cable lands at Barranquilla, situated on the Caribbean coast. Ecuador is served by a landing at Ancon. In Mexico, the cable reaches Cancún on the Yucatán Peninsula. Panama has two landing points: Cristóbal on the Atlantic coast and Panama City on the Pacific side of the isthmus. In the United States, the cable comes ashore at Naples, Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico.

Ownership and Operators

CSN-1 is solely owned by Telconet. Telconet is one of Ecuador's principal telecommunications and internet service providers, with operations extending across Latin America. As the sole owner, Telconet controls the full capacity and management of the system without a consortium structure.

Status and Timeline

CSN-1 is planned for a Ready for Service date in 2026. The system is not yet operational and is currently in the development or construction phase.

Regional Context

CSN-1 enters a corridor that is already served by several long-haul systems. South America-1 (SAm-1), GlobeNet, and related cables have connected Colombia, Ecuador, and the United States since the early 2000s, while Asia-America Gateway extended transoceanic reach from the United States westward. CSN-1 is considerably shorter than these systems at 4,670 km, reflecting its more concentrated regional scope rather than intercontinental reach. Over the past 60 days, measured round-trip latency through CSN-1 has averaged 104.2 ms, with a best recorded result of 39.0 ms.

Strategic Role

By landing at six points across five countries — including two landings within Panama — CSN-1 supports connectivity diversity along the Central American isthmus and links the Caribbean-facing coasts of Colombia and Mexico with Florida's Gulf coast. The dual Panama landings at Cristóbal and Panama City offer path redundancy across the isthmus. For Telconet, the system extends the company's network infrastructure beyond Ecuador into a broader Latin American and North American footprint.