Amerigo Vespucci: A Short Submarine Cable Linking Kralendijk and Willemstad
The Amerigo Vespucci submarine cable is an 87-kilometer optical fiber system connecting Kralendijk in the Netherlands (on the island of Bonaire) to Willemstad in Curaçao. Owned by Antelecom, it has been listed as in service since 1999 according to GeoCables records. While its design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, and technology specifics are not publicly disclosed, the cable plays a role in regional connectivity between these two Caribbean islands.
What makes the Amerigo Vespucci cable particularly interesting is its relatively short length and the presence of multiple other cables at Willemstad, which creates redundancy in the region. Additionally, the cable's latency floor is well-documented, enabling a clear understanding of its theoretical performance. However, live internet measurements show significantly higher latencies, highlighting the complexities of end-to-end network paths beyond the cable itself.
Quick facts
| Name | Amerigo Vespucci |
| Length | 87 km |
| Ready-for-service year | 1999 (GeoCables database) |
| Owner | Antelecom |
| Status | In service |
| Design capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points | Kralendijk (Netherlands); Willemstad (Curaçao) |
🗺 Show Amerigo Vespucci on the interactive cable map
Route
The Amerigo Vespucci cable directly connects Kralendijk, located on Bonaire, to Willemstad, the capital of Curaçao. Both islands are part of the Caribbean Netherlands, and the cable spans a relatively short distance of 87 kilometers across the Caribbean Sea. Willemstad serves as a major telecommunications hub for the region, hosting several other submarine cables, including
Alonso de Ojeda,
ARCOS,
CELIA,
EC Link, and
Jerry Newton.
Why it was built and what it carries
The Amerigo Vespucci cable was likely built to enhance connectivity between Bonaire and Curaçao, two islands with close economic and administrative ties. As Bonaire is smaller and less populated than Curaçao, the cable may serve as a critical link for routing data and telecommunications traffic between the islands. While the specific data capacity of the cable is not disclosed, it is reasonable to assume that it supports regional internet and telecommunications services, including voice, data, and possibly video traffic.
History: what can be established
GeoCables records indicate that the Amerigo Vespucci cable was ready for service in 1999. However, no alternative dates have surfaced in industry sources, and the cable's construction details, such as the supplier and deployment methods, remain undocumented in publicly available records. This lack of information makes it difficult to assess the cable's initial objectives or any upgrades it may have undergone since its commissioning.
Capacity and technology
The design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, and specific technology used in the Amerigo Vespucci cable are not disclosed in public sources. Without operator documentation, attributing these specifications would be speculative. Given its relatively short length, the cable may employ simpler repeater technology or even be unrepeated, but this cannot be confirmed without further information.
Latency: the physics
The theoretical one-way light propagation latency over the 87-kilometer wet segment of the Amerigo Vespucci cable is approximately 0.4 milliseconds, with a round-trip time (RTT) floor of about 0.9 milliseconds. This calculation assumes light traveling through fiber at speeds between 200,000 and 204,000 kilometers per second. However, real-world end-to-end RTTs are significantly higher due to factors such as land tail latency, terminal equipment processing, and routing inefficiencies.
Live internet measurements conducted via remote probes reveal the following RTTs to Willemstad:
- Sao Paulo -> Willemstad: minimum 152.2 ms, average 157.1 ms
- Minsk -> Willemstad: minimum 186.9 ms, average 188.4 ms
- Singapore -> Willemstad: minimum 288.3 ms, average 342.9 ms
These values reflect the full internet path, including terrestrial networks and intermediate routing, rather than the cable itself.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
Willemstad is a landing point for multiple submarine cables, including Alonso de Ojeda, ARCOS, CELIA, EC Link, and Jerry Newton. These alternative systems provide redundancy for regional connectivity in the event of a failure on the Amerigo Vespucci cable. Standard industry practices for submarine cable repair include deploying specialized cable ships to locate and fix faults, which can range from fiber breaks to damage caused by fishing activity or anchors.
Bottom line
- The Amerigo Vespucci cable connects Kralendijk and Willemstad over a short 87-kilometer route.
- Operational since 1999 according to GeoCables records, with no alternative dates reported.
- Design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology are not publicly disclosed.
- Theoretical latency is low, but real-world RTTs are influenced by broader network factors.
- Redundancy is provided by several other cables landing at Willemstad.