Colombia-Florida Express (CFX-1)

Colombia-Florida Express (CFX-1): A Submarine Cable Linking the Americas

The Colombia-Florida Express (CFX-1) is a submarine telecommunications cable connecting Colombia, Jamaica, and the United States. Spanning 2438 kilometers, it provides direct connectivity between Boca Raton in Florida, Cartagena in Colombia, and two landing points in Jamaica: Copa Club and Morant Point. Owned by Liberty Networks, CFX-1 has been operational since 2008, according to GeoCables records, and remains listed as in service. While the cable's route and operational status are clear, several technical details, including its design capacity, fiber pair count, and supplier, are not publicly disclosed. This lack of transparency leaves room for speculation but underscores the need for reliable operator documentation. The cable's latency and live internet measurements reveal interesting discrepancies between theoretical physics and real-world performance.

Quick facts

Cable name	Colombia-Florida Express (CFX-1)
Length	2438 km
Ready-for-service year	2008 (GeoCables database; industry sources not surfaced)
Owners	Liberty Networks
Status	In service
Design capacity	Not disclosed
Fiber pairs	Not disclosed
Supplier	Not disclosed
Technology	Not disclosed
Landing points	Boca Raton (United States); Cartagena (Colombia); Copa Club (Jamaica); Morant Point (Jamaica)

Show Colombia-Florida Express (CFX-1) on the interactive cable map

Route

CFX-1 connects the southeastern United States with northern South America via Jamaica. Its landing points include Boca Raton in Florida, Cartagena in Colombia, and two Jamaican locations: Copa Club and Morant Point. Boca Raton serves as a hub for numerous other cables, including the Bahamas Internet Cable System (BICS), CELIA, GlobeNet, and Monet. Cartagena is similarly significant, hosting connections to cables such as AMX-1, ARCOS, and PCCS. Jamaica's Morant Point and Copa Club are less prominent but strategically positioned for regional connectivity.

Why it was built and what it carries

The Colombia-Florida Express was designed to enhance telecommunications between Colombia, Jamaica, and the United States, supporting the growing demand for international bandwidth in the region. By providing direct links between these countries, CFX-1 facilitates data exchange for businesses, governments, and consumers. Although its specific design capacity is not disclosed, the cable likely carries internet traffic, voice communications, and data services, typical of submarine cables in this corridor.

History: what can be established

CFX-1 was recorded as ready for service in 2008 by GeoCables. No conflicting dates from industry sources are known, so this year is assumed accurate. Liberty Networks owns the cable, but details about its construction, supplier, or deployment are not publicly available. Its operational status as "in service" suggests that it remains actively used for telecommunications.

Capacity and technology

Publicly available information does not disclose CFX-1's design capacity, fiber pair count, or technological specifications. Without operator documentation, attributing these details would be speculative. Submarine cables typically employ dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technology to maximize capacity, but whether this applies to CFX-1 cannot be confirmed.

Latency: the physics

The theoretical one-way light propagation latency over CFX-1's 2438 km wet segment is approximately 12.0 milliseconds, with a round-trip time (RTT) floor of 23.9 milliseconds. However, live internet measurements show significantly higher RTTs due to additional factors such as land tails, terminal equipment, and network routing. For example, GeoCables probes measured a minimum RTT of 39.0 milliseconds between Boca Raton and Cartagena, with an average of 70.6 milliseconds. This discrepancy highlights the complexity of real-world latency, where the cable is only one component of the broader internet path.

Redundancy: what happens if it breaks

CFX-1 operates in a corridor with multiple alternative cables. At Boca Raton, alternatives include BICS, CELIA, GlobeNet, and Monet. Cartagena is similarly well-connected, with cables such as AMX-1, ARCOS, and PCCS providing redundancy. If CFX-1 were to experience a fault, traffic could be rerouted through these systems. Repairing submarine cables typically involves deploying specialized ships to locate and fix the damaged section, a process that can take weeks depending on the fault's nature and location.

Bottom line

• CFX-1 spans 2438 km, connecting Colombia, Jamaica, and the United States.
• Owned by Liberty Networks, it has been in service since 2008.
• Design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology are not publicly disclosed.
• Live internet latency measurements significantly exceed theoretical values.
• Redundancy is provided by other cables in the corridor, including BICS, AMX-1, and PCCS.