Prat

Overview

Prat is a domestic submarine cable system running entirely along the coastline of Chile. Spanning approximately 3,500 kilometres, it serves the Chilean littoral corridor, connecting a series of coastal cities from the far north of the country down to the south. The cable is owned and operated by Grupo Gtd, a Chilean telecommunications company with a broad infrastructure presence across South America.

Route and Landings

Prat has twelve landing points, all located in Chile. In the northern reaches of the country, the cable lands at Arica, Iquique, Tocopilla, and Antofagasta. Continuing southward along the coast, it reaches Caldera and La Serena. Further south, the cable connects to Valparaíso and Cartagena, serving the central Chilean coast. The southern segment includes landings at Constitución, San Pedro de la Paz, Puerto Saavedra, and Puerto Montt.

Ownership and Operators

Prat is wholly owned by Grupo Gtd. Grupo Gtd is a Chilean telecommunications group that provides a range of connectivity and infrastructure services across Chile and other parts of Latin America. As the sole owner, Gtd controls the full length of the system and its associated landing infrastructure.

Technical Profile

Prat extends across a total route length of 3,500 kilometres, making it one of the longer domestic coastal cable systems in South America by distance.

Status and Timeline

Prat entered service in 2020. The system is currently operational, providing connectivity across its twelve Chilean landing points.

Regional Context

Chile's coastal cable landscape includes several systems of varying scale. Larger international cables such as South America-1 (SAm-1), ready for service in 2001, and the South American Crossing (SAC), ready in 2000, traverse Chilean waters as part of much longer intercontinental routes spanning tens of thousands of kilometres. The South Pacific Cable System (SPCS)/Mistral, at 7,300 kilometres and entering service in 2021, and the forthcoming Halaihai system, planned for 2027, represent more regionally focused alternatives. At the shorter end of the spectrum, the Segunda FOS Canal de Chacao covers just 40 kilometres and has been in service since 2015. Within this range, Prat occupies a distinct position as a dedicated domestic coastal system focused exclusively on linking Chilean cities to one another rather than extending to international destinations.

Strategic Role

With twelve landings spread across Chile's extended coastline — from Arica in the far north to Puerto Montt in the south — Prat provides domestic submarine connectivity to a diverse set of Chilean coastal communities. Its coverage spans both major urban centres and smaller coastal towns, distributing connectivity along a corridor that would otherwise depend on terrestrial infrastructure crossing varied and at times challenging terrain. The system enables Grupo Gtd to offer submarine-based domestic connectivity across the length of Chile's Pacific coast.