GlobalConnect-KPN

Overview

GlobalConnect-KPN is a short submarine cable spanning 43 km across the Baltic Sea between Denmark and Germany. It serves the intra-Baltic corridor, providing a direct undersea link between the two neighboring countries.

Route and Landings

In Denmark, the cable lands at Gedser, located at the southern tip of the island of Falster. In Germany, the cable lands at Rostock, on the southern Baltic coast. The two landing points are separated by approximately 43 km of seabed.

Ownership and Operators

GlobalConnect is the sole owner of this cable system. GlobalConnect is a Nordic telecommunications and infrastructure company operating fiber networks across the Scandinavian and northern European region.

Status and Timeline

GlobalConnect-KPN entered service in 2006 and has now been operational for approximately 20 years. It continues to serve the Denmark–Germany corridor as an active system.

Technical Profile

Measured performance over the last 60 days, based on 76 ping tests, shows an average round-trip latency of 26.7 ms, with a best recorded value of 24.5 ms. These figures reflect the short physical distance between the two landing points.

Regional Context

The Denmark–Germany corridor hosts a range of submarine cables of varying scales. GlobalConnect-KPN, at 43 km, is among the shorter systems in this corridor, longer than 21% of the 19 other cables serving the same countries. Systems such as Aurora (500 km), COBRAcable (304 km), and C-Lion1 (1,172 km) serve different geographic reaches within or beyond this same coastal zone, while longer transoceanic cables like Atlantic Crossing-1 (14,301 km) and Havfrue/AEC-2 (7,650 km) extend far into the Atlantic from these shores. More recent additions such as Havhingsten/North Sea Connect (661 km, RFS 2022) and Aurora (RFS 2024) illustrate continued investment in this corridor. GlobalConnect-KPN occupies a distinct niche as a compact, direct Baltic crossing between Gedser and Rostock.

Strategic Role

By connecting Gedser in southern Denmark with Rostock in northern Germany across a 43 km undersea path, GlobalConnect-KPN provides a direct bilateral link between two well-connected national networks. Denmark hosts 23 submarine cables across 30 landing points, and Germany hosts 8 cables across 7 landing points, reflecting active subsea connectivity on both sides. This cable contributes a short-haul Baltic route to that broader framework, with latency performance consistent with its compact geographic footprint.