Canalink: connecting Morocco and Spain
Canalink is a submarine cable system linking Morocco with several locations in Spain, including the Canary Islands. Spanning approximately 1,835 kilometers, it is owned by IT3 and has been operational since 2011, as recorded in the GeoCables database. The cable plays a role in regional connectivity, although many technical details about its capacity and design remain undisclosed in public sources.
What stands out about Canalink is its geographic reach, connecting mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, and Morocco. However, uncertainties persist regarding its design capacity, fiber pair count, and supplier. Live latency measurements offer insights into its performance, but these include artifacts that require careful interpretation.
Quick facts
| Name | Canalink |
| Length | 1,835 km |
| Ready-for-service year | 2011 (GeoCables database; conflicting industry sources not identified) |
| Owner | IT3 |
| Status | In service |
| Design capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points |
|
Route
Canalink connects Asilah in Morocco to multiple landing points in Spain, including locations on the mainland and the Canary Islands. The Spanish landing points span both the Atlantic coast (e.g., Conil de la Frontera) and the Canary Islands (e.g., Granadilla de Abona and Santa Cruz de La Palma). This route positions Canalink as a link between North Africa and Europe, serving diverse geographic and economic regions.
The cable shares landing points with other submarine cables, such as
Atlas Offshore at Asilah,
Pencan-8 at Conil de la Frontera, and
Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) at Granadilla de Abona. These overlapping landings provide some level of redundancy and alternative routing options for traffic in the region.
Why it was built and what it carries
The Canalink cable was likely built to enhance connectivity between Morocco and Spain, particularly to serve the Canary Islands' telecommunications needs and improve North Africa's access to European networks. While specific details about its traffic and customer base are not publicly disclosed, it is reasonable to assume that it supports internet, voice, and data services for regional telecom operators and possibly international carriers.
History: what can be established
Canalink's ready-for-service year is recorded as 2011 in the GeoCables database. Publicly available sources do not suggest any conflicting dates, so this can be considered reliable. The cable's ownership by IT3 and its operational status are also clear. However, details about its construction, supplier, and any upgrades over time remain undisclosed.
Capacity and technology
The design capacity, fiber pair count, and underlying technology of Canalink are not publicly documented. Without operator disclosures or reliable industry sources, any assumptions about its capabilities would be speculative. This lack of transparency is not uncommon for regional cables, especially those with relatively modest geographic scope compared to major transoceanic systems.
Latency: the physics
The computed theoretical latency for one-way light propagation over Canalink's 1,835 km wet segment is approximately 9.0 milliseconds, with a round-trip time (RTT) floor of 18.0 milliseconds. These values assume ideal conditions, such as light traveling at 200,000 to 204,000 km/s in optical fiber, without accounting for additional delays caused by land-based connections, terminal equipment, or routing.
Live latency measurements obtained through remote probes reveal higher RTTs due to these factors. For example:
- Asilah -> Santa Cruz de La Palma: measured minimum RTT of 16.6 ms (below the theoretical floor, flagged as a measurement artifact) and an average RTT of 45.9 ms.
- Santa Cruz de La Palma -> Asilah: measured minimum RTT of 54.5 ms and an average RTT of 181.4 ms.
- Odessa -> Santa Cruz de La Palma: measured minimum RTT of 95.2 ms and an average RTT of 97.3 ms.
The minimum RTT of 16.6 ms is below the physical floor of 18 ms and should be regarded as an artifact caused by intermediate router behavior, not as an accurate representation of the cable's performance.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
Several alternative cables share landing points with Canalink, providing redundancy in case of outages. At Asilah, Atlas Offshore offers an alternative route, while Conil de la Frontera connects to Pencan-8. Granadilla de Abona has links to ACE and
TEGOPA, and Santa Cruz de La Palma connects to TEGOPA and
Tenerife-La Palma. These overlapping systems allow traffic rerouting, although the specific impact of a failure on Canalink would depend on the configuration and capacity of the alternatives.
Repairing submarine cables typically involves deploying specialized ships equipped with cable recovery and splicing equipment. The repair process depends on factors such as the cable's depth, the nature of the fault, and weather conditions. While no specific repair history for Canalink is publicly available, it likely follows standard industry practices.
Bottom line
- Canalink spans 1,835 km, connecting Morocco and Spain, including the Canary Islands.
- Owned by IT3, it has been operational since 2011, with no publicly disclosed design capacity or fiber pair count.
- Latency measurements highlight artifacts, emphasizing the need for careful interpretation of live data.
- Redundancy is provided by overlapping cables at several landing points.
- Public information about its technology, supplier, and upgrades is limited.