Caucasus Cable System

Overview

The Caucasus Cable System is a submarine cable connecting Bulgaria and Georgia across the Black Sea. Spanning approximately 1,200 kilometres, it provides a direct link between southeastern Europe and the South Caucasus region. The cable has been operated by Caucasus Online since entering service in 2008.

Route and Landings

In Bulgaria, the cable lands at Balchik, a coastal town on the western shore of the Black Sea. In Georgia, the cable lands at Poti, a port city on the eastern Black Sea coast. These two landing points anchor the cable's trans-Black Sea route.

Ownership and Operators

The Caucasus Cable System is wholly owned by Caucasus Online, a Georgian telecommunications operator providing international connectivity services to the South Caucasus region.

Status and Timeline

The cable became ready for service in 2008 and has been operational for approximately 18 years. It remains in service today, connecting its two landing points across the Black Sea.

Regional Context

The Black Sea corridor linking Bulgaria and Georgia supports a modest but established set of submarine cable connections. Bulgaria hosts three submarine cables across three landing points, with the first cable in the country dating to 1997. Georgia is similarly served by three cables, all landing at Poti. Among the cables operating in this corridor, the Caucasus Cable System occupies a middle position: KAFOS (RFS 1997) represents the earliest infrastructure on the Bulgarian side, while Kardesa is a forthcoming system planned for service in 2027 that will cover 1,385 kilometres along a comparable route. The Georgia-Russia cable (RFS 2000) connects Georgia to a different neighbouring country. The Caucasus Cable System, at 1,200 kilometres, sits between these peers in both length and age.

Measured over the last 60 days across 111 ping tests, the cable records an average round-trip latency of 75.5 milliseconds, with a best observed result of 5.6 milliseconds.

Strategic Role

By connecting Balchik in Bulgaria with Poti in Georgia, the Caucasus Cable System provides a direct submarine path across the Black Sea between the European Union and the South Caucasus. With Georgia's three cables all landing at the single point of Poti, the Caucasus Cable System is one of a small number of international submarine connections serving that country's external connectivity.