Maya-1.2

Overview

Maya-1.2 is a regional submarine cable system spanning 2,386 kilometres across the western Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. It connects the Cayman Islands, Honduras, and the United States, serving a corridor that links Central America and a British Overseas Territory to the North American mainland. The cable is a relatively compact system compared to the long-haul transoceanic cables that also terminate in the United States.

Route and Landings

In the Cayman Islands, the cable lands at Half Moon Bay. In Honduras, it comes ashore at Puerto Cortés. In the United States, the landing station is located in Hollywood, Florida.

Ownership and Operators

Maya-1.2 is jointly owned by Hondutel, Liberty Networks, and Ufinet. Hondutel is the state-owned telecommunications operator of Honduras. Liberty Networks and Ufinet are both infrastructure and connectivity providers active across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Status and Timeline

Maya-1.2 entered service in 2000 and remains in operation. It connects Honduras and the Cayman Islands to the United States, continuing to carry traffic across this Caribbean corridor.

Strategic Context

The United States is a common terminus for many of the cables operating in Maya-1.2's broader region. Several much longer systems — including the Southern Cross Cable Network and GlobeNet, both of which also reached service in 2000 — share the same US landing geography but extend across far greater distances, reaching tens of thousands of kilometres into the Pacific and Atlantic respectively. Maya-1.2, at 2,386 kilometres, serves a distinctly localised sub-regional role rather than an intercontinental one, focusing on the Caribbean basin rather than long-haul oceanic connectivity.

The corridor served by Maya-1.2 connects Central American countries like Honduras with key telecommunications hubs in North America. This is particularly important for Honduras, where the cable provides a direct link to the United States through Puerto Cortés.

The Cayman Islands, as a British Overseas Territory, benefit from this cable by maintaining strong telecommunications links with both Central America and North America. Honduras, being a significant player in the Latin American market, also relies on such connections to support its growing telecommunications infrastructure and international business activities.

The corridor served by Maya-1.2 is part of a broader network that supports regional trade, investment, and communication flows. It complements other submarine cables like the Southern Cross Cable Network and GlobeNet, which provide longer-distance connectivity but are not as focused on the immediate Caribbean basin.