Farewell-Change-Fogo

Overview

Farewell-Change-Fogo is a domestic submarine cable system operating entirely within Canada. At 16 km in length, it serves a short coastal corridor in Newfoundland and Labrador, connecting several communities on or near Fogo Island and the adjacent mainland coastline. The cable provides local connectivity within this inshore stretch of northeastern Canada.

Route and Landings

The cable lands at three points in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada: Farewell, Fogo Island, and Stag Harbour. These three landing sites are geographically clustered within the Fogo Island area, reflecting the cable's function as a short-haul inshore link rather than a long-distance intercontinental route.

Ownership and Operators

Farewell-Change-Fogo is owned by Bell Canada, one of Canada's principal telecommunications carriers. Bell Canada operates a broad network of wireline and wireless infrastructure across the country, and this cable represents an extension of that infrastructure to coastal communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Status and Timeline

The cable was ready for service in 2025, making it among the more recently commissioned submarine systems in the Canadian corridor. It has been operational for approximately one year.

Regional Context

Canada hosts 18 submarine cables landing across 44 points, with an average cable length of 877 km. At 16 km, Farewell-Change-Fogo is considerably shorter than the Canadian average, reflecting its purpose as a localised inshore link rather than a long-haul system. Among cables operating in the same national corridor, it is shorter than all comparable systems for which length data is available, including community-focused cables such as EAUFON 1 at 1,175 km and Persona at 800 km. Longer regional systems such as EXA North and South, EXA Express, and Greenland Connect serve substantially different geographic scales and connectivity purposes. The planned EAUFON 3 system, expected for service in 2027, will also operate within the Canadian domestic corridor.

Strategic Role

Farewell-Change-Fogo extends submarine cable connectivity to the communities of Farewell, Fogo Island, and Stag Harbour in Newfoundland and Labrador. Its short length of 16 km suits the close geographic proximity of its three landing points, enabling reliable fixed connectivity for island and coastal communities that might otherwise rely on less direct transmission paths. The cable adds to the modest but growing set of domestically focused submarine links serving remote and semi-remote Canadian coastal locations.