Sweden-Latvia

Overview

Sweden-Latvia is a bilateral submarine cable system connecting Latvia and Sweden across the Baltic Sea. Spanning 391 km, it serves the corridor between these two countries and represents Latvia's first submarine cable connection, having entered service in 2005. The system is owned and operated by the Latvia State Radio and Television Centre.

Route and Landings

In Latvia, the cable lands at Ventspils, a port city on the country's western coast facing the Baltic Sea.

In Sweden, the cable has two landing points: Farosund and Stockholm. These two landings provide the Swedish terminus of the system with both a coastal entry point and a connection to the capital.

Ownership and Operators

Sweden-Latvia is owned by the Latvia State Radio and Television Centre, a Latvian public entity responsible for broadcasting and telecommunications infrastructure in the country.

Status and Timeline

The cable entered service in 2005 and has been operational for approximately 21 years. It remains in service today.

Regional Context

The Sweden-Latvia cable operates within a Baltic corridor that includes a number of other submarine systems touching Sweden. Among these regional peers are BCS North – Phase 1 (RFS 1998), STO-HEL-One (RFS 2008), Aurora (RFS 2024), and the forthcoming Mjolner East, Mjolner West, and N0r5ke Viking 2 systems. At 391 km, Sweden-Latvia is longer than 55% of the other cables operating across the same country pairing, reflecting a direct cross-Baltic routing rather than a short coastal hop.

Sweden hosts a comparatively active submarine cable ecosystem with 17 cables landing across 20 landing points, while Latvia's submarine cable presence is anchored entirely by this single system. Measured performance over the last 60 days, based on 117 ping tests, shows an average round-trip latency of 55.9 ms, with the best recorded result at 28.4 ms.

Strategic Role

Sweden-Latvia provides the direct submarine link between Latvia and Sweden, forming the sole seabed connection for Latvia to its Scandinavian neighbor. With landings at both Farosund and Stockholm on the Swedish side, the cable connects into Sweden's broader terrestrial network at two geographically distinct points, while Ventspils serves as Latvia's single submarine gateway in this corridor. As newer Baltic cables come into service in the coming years, Sweden-Latvia will continue to represent the foundational undersea link between these two countries established at the outset of Latvia's submarine cable history.