FLY-LION3

Overview

FLY-LION3 is a regional submarine cable system spanning approximately 400 kilometres in the western Indian Ocean. It connects three territories — Comoros, Madagascar, and Mayotte — providing direct subsea links among these island communities in an area where geographic isolation makes submarine connectivity especially scarce.

Route and Landings

In Comoros, the cable lands at three points: Chindini, Fomboni Moheli, and Moroni, distributing connectivity across the main islands of the archipelago.

In Madagascar, FLY-LION3 reaches three coastal cities: Fort Dauphin, Mahajanga, and Toamasina, spanning both the northern and southern portions of the island's coastline.

In Mayotte, the cable lands at Kaweni and Mamoudzou, the two principal landing sites on this French island collectivity.

Ownership and Operators

FLY-LION3 is jointly owned by Comoros Cables, Orange, and Société Réunionnaise du Radiotéléphone (SRR). Orange is a major international telecommunications operator with a broad presence across Africa and the Indian Ocean region. SRR is Orange's mobile subsidiary operating in Réunion and Mayotte.

Status and Timeline

FLY-LION3 entered service in 2019 and is currently operational. The system connects eight landing points across its three-country footprint.

Regional Context

FLY-LION3 operates within a corridor served by several longer-haul systems. The Eastern Africa Submarine System (EASSy), which entered service in 2010, and the more recent 2Africa cable, ready for service in 2024, both reach Comoros and Madagascar as part of much broader pan-African routes spanning tens of thousands of kilometres. DARE 1 and METISS, both ready for service in 2021, serve Madagascar as part of wider Indian Ocean configurations. At 400 kilometres, FLY-LION3 is a compact intra-regional system focused specifically on inter-island connectivity among Comoros, Madagascar, and Mayotte, rather than serving as a long-haul intercontinental route.

Recent performance measurements recorded an average round-trip latency of 219.3 milliseconds across 69 ping tests, with a best observed latency of 82.2 milliseconds.

Strategic Role

By landing at eight points across three territories, FLY-LION3 distributes submarine connectivity to island communities in the western Indian Ocean that might otherwise depend entirely on longer, shared international cable systems. Its concentrated footprint in Comoros, Madagascar, and Mayotte means it directly addresses intra-regional connectivity needs between these neighbouring but geographically separate territories.