Confluence-1

Confluence-1: A regional submarine cable serving the U.S. East Coast

Confluence-1 is a submarine telecommunications cable system spanning 2,571 kilometers along the eastern seaboard of the United States. Owned by Confluence Networks, it connects five landing points: Boca Raton, Jacksonville, Myrtle Beach, Virginia Beach, and Wall Township. The cable is listed as in service, with its ready-for-service (RFS) year recorded in the GeoCables database as 2026. However, industry sources do not universally confirm this date, and no live latency measurements or technical specifications such as design capacity or fiber pair count are publicly disclosed. What makes Confluence-1 notable is its focus on regional connectivity within the United States, a market often dominated by transoceanic cables. Additionally, the cable lands at locations already hosting multiple other systems, creating a dense network of interconnection opportunities. Despite its relatively short length compared to transatlantic or transpacific cables, its role in supporting domestic traffic and redundancy along the U.S. East Coast is significant.

Quick facts

Length	2,571 km
Ready-for-service year	2026 (GeoCables database value; industry sources may vary)
Status	In service
Owners	Confluence Networks
Design capacity	Not disclosed
Fiber pairs	Not disclosed
Supplier	Not disclosed
Technology	Not disclosed
Landing points	Boca Raton, Jacksonville, Myrtle Beach, Virginia Beach, Wall Township

Show Confluence-1 on the interactive cable map

Route

Confluence-1 connects five landing points along the U.S. East Coast, forming a north-south corridor. Starting in Boca Raton, Florida, the cable moves northward to Jacksonville, also in Florida, before reaching Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, Virginia Beach in Virginia, and finally Wall Township in New Jersey. These landing points are strategically located to serve major population centers and provide interconnection opportunities with other submarine cables. Each landing site is already home to multiple other cable systems. For example, Boca Raton hosts cables such as Bahamas Internet Cable System (BICS) and Monet, while Virginia Beach is a hub for transatlantic systems like MAREA and Dunant. This dense interconnection environment enhances the cable's utility for both redundancy and traffic aggregation.

Why it was built and what it carries

The primary purpose of Confluence-1 appears to be domestic connectivity along the U.S. East Coast. By linking five strategic landing points, the cable supports regional data traffic for enterprises, content providers, and internet service providers. Its route complements other cables in the region, offering additional redundancy and capacity for intra-U.S. communication. While specific details about its design capacity and technology are not publicly disclosed, the cable likely carries a mix of internet, cloud, and enterprise traffic. Given the regional focus, it may also serve as a backup route for transoceanic cables landing in the same locations, ensuring continuity in case of disruptions.

History: what can be established

The GeoCables database lists the ready-for-service year for Confluence-1 as 2026. However, it is worth noting that industry sources sometimes report differing timelines for submarine cable deployments. Such discrepancies can arise from delays in permitting, construction, or testing phases, or from differences in how "ready-for-service" is defined (e.g., partial vs. full operational readiness). Without operator documentation, the exact timeline cannot be definitively confirmed. The cable is listed as in service, suggesting that it has successfully completed the deployment process and is operational. The absence of live latency measurements or public announcements about its launch further limits the ability to corroborate its operational status independently.

Capacity and technology

Publicly available data does not confirm the design capacity, fiber pair count, or specific technologies used in Confluence-1. These parameters are often proprietary and disclosed selectively by operators. Without documentation from Confluence Networks, attributing specific values would be speculative. Industry-standard practices for cables of this length and purpose typically involve high-capacity optical transmission technologies, such as wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM). However, whether Confluence-1 employs these or other advanced technologies remains unknown.

Latency: the physics

Theoretical one-way light propagation over the 2,571 km wet segment of Confluence-1 is approximately 12.6 milliseconds, assuming a speed of 200,000 to 204,000 km/s in fiber. The round-trip time (RTT) floor is therefore about 25.2 milliseconds. These figures represent the absolute minimum latency achievable over the cable's wet segment. Real-world latency measurements would be higher due to additional factors such as land tails, terminal equipment delays, and routing inefficiencies. Since no live measurements are currently available for Confluence-1, the actual end-to-end latency remains unquantified.

Redundancy: what happens if it breaks

Confluence-1 operates in a corridor with significant redundancy provided by other cables. For example, Boca Raton is connected to systems like Monet and GlobeNet, while Virginia Beach hosts transatlantic cables such as MAREA and Dunant. Should Confluence-1 experience a fault, traffic can be rerouted through these alternative systems, minimizing disruption. Repair logistics for submarine cables typically involve deploying specialized cable ships equipped with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for fault localization and repair. Given the cable's regional nature and proximity to major ports, repair operations would likely be relatively swift compared to transoceanic systems.

Bottom line

• Confluence-1 spans 2,571 km along the U.S. East Coast, connecting five landing points.
• Listed as in service, with a ready-for-service year recorded as 2026, though industry sources may vary.
• Owned by Confluence Networks; design capacity, fiber pairs, and technology are not publicly disclosed.
• Provides regional connectivity and redundancy in a corridor with dense interconnection opportunities.
• Theoretical latency floor is 25.2 ms RTT over the wet segment, but real-world latency is higher.