Canalink Plans El Hierro Submarine Cable
Canalink Plans Submarine Fibre-Optic Cable Installation in El Hierro
By Atlantico via Tenerife Weekly
February 18, 2026
Canalink, the public company of the Cabildo of Tenerife, is making progress in deploying a submarine cable network aimed at enhancing connectivity between the islands of the Archipelago. The company is currently developing a “marine motorway” to connect the eastern islands and is already securing the necessary permits to extend this infrastructure to the western islands.
Project Overview
This information is included in the administrative concession request submitted to Costas, detailing the proposed works in the locality of Tamaduste, within the municipality of Valverde (El Hierro). Specifically, the company has requested permission to carry out perforation works that will connect the island via a submarine fibre-optic cable to Tenerife.
Initial Steps
The technical document, titled “Request for Occupation of the Maritime-Terrestrial Public Domain of the Canalink Telecommunications System Base 6 at Playa de El Salto (Tamaduste, El Hierro)” and dated April 2025, outlines the project necessary for establishing a new submarine cable landing site at El Hierro, integrated into the inter-island Canalink network. Currently, the application is undergoing public scrutiny, as reported in the BOC on Monday.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy supported by the European funding mechanism, Connecting Europe (CEF). According to the documentation, Canalink is coordinating, in a first phase, the deployment of a submarine cable system in a ring format between Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura, known as the GC-LNZ-FU Ring.
System Structure
The project is divided into three bases:
- Base 4: Connecting the southeast between Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote (approximately 442 kilometres).
- Base 5: Covering the northern connection between the same islands (around 216 kilometres).
- Base 6: Currently under study, linking Tenerife, La Gomera, El Hierro, and La Palma over approximately 328 kilometres.
Base 6 and Connectivity for the Western Islands
The planned works in Tamaduste are precisely part of Base 6, which will provide the western islands with high-capacity submarine infrastructure, estimated at 5 terabits per second. The goal is to enhance system redundancy, reduce reliance on single operators, and increase the resilience of communications.
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