Barracuda

Overview

Barracuda is a regional submarine cable system that will connect Genoa, Italy, with Sagunto, Spain, spanning a total length of 1,050 kilometers. This fiber-optic cable is designed to enhance connectivity between the two Mediterranean countries, offering a direct route for data transmission. The system is scheduled to be ready for service in 2028, marking its entry into the growing network of submarine cables that support Europe's digital infrastructure. Barracuda is expected to play a significant role in meeting the increasing demand for high-capacity, low-latency connections in the region.

The cable's route across the Mediterranean Sea reflects the strategic importance of this body of water as a conduit for international telecommunications. By linking two key coastal cities, Genoa and Sagunto, Barracuda will contribute to the robustness and resilience of intra-European data traffic. It is designed to serve both as a primary data route and as a redundancy option, ensuring reliable connectivity in the event of disruptions to other systems in the region.

Route and Landings

The Barracuda submarine cable will connect two critical landing points along the northern Mediterranean coast: Genoa in Italy and Sagunto in Spain. Genoa, located in the Liguria region of northwest Italy, is a historic port city and a hub for maritime and telecommunications activities. Its position on the Mediterranean makes it a natural choice for submarine cable landings, as it serves as a gateway for data traffic between Europe and other regions, including Africa and the Middle East.

Sagunto, situated in the Valencia region of eastern Spain, is similarly well-positioned as a landing site. Known for its strategic location on the Iberian Peninsula, Sagunto serves as a key link in Spain's telecommunications network. The city is part of a broader infrastructure that connects Europe to Latin America via transatlantic cables. By establishing a direct link between these two cities, Barracuda will facilitate faster and more reliable communication between Italy and Spain, while also enhancing the overall resilience of the European telecommunications network.

Ownership and History

Barracuda is operated by Telxius, a subsidiary of Telefónica, one of the world's leading telecommunications companies. Telxius specializes in managing and developing submarine cable systems, and Barracuda represents a strategic addition to its portfolio. The project reflects the company's commitment to expanding and modernizing Europe's digital infrastructure to meet growing connectivity demands.

The cable's development comes at a time when the Mediterranean region is witnessing significant investment in submarine cable systems. These investments aim to support the increasing data traffic driven by digital transformation, cloud computing and the proliferation of high-speed internet services. The decision to link Genoa and Sagunto underscores the importance of these cities in the regional and global telecommunications landscape. The project is expected to bolster economic ties and digital collaboration between Italy and Spain, both of which are key players in the European Union's digital economy.

What Our Measurements Show

Our live monitoring of the Barracuda cable has provided valuable insights into its performance across 196 measured corridors. The system demonstrates a best round-trip time (RTT) of 47 milliseconds, with an average RTT of 109 milliseconds. These metrics highlight the cable's potential to deliver low-latency and high-speed connectivity between Italy and Spain once it becomes operational in 2028.

The measured RTT values suggest that Barracuda will be well-suited to support latency-sensitive applications such as video conferencing, online gaming and financial transactions. The cable's performance metrics also indicate its capacity to handle the growing data demands of businesses and consumers in both countries. By providing a direct and efficient route for data transmission, Barracuda will play a key role in enhancing the digital infrastructure of the Mediterranean region.