Israel Coasting 1 (IC-1): Coastal connectivity within Israel
Israel Coasting 1 (IC-1) is a submarine cable system designed to provide domestic connectivity along Israel's Mediterranean coastline. With landing points in seven cities, including
Tel Aviv,
Haifa, and
Ashkelon, IC-1 serves as a key infrastructure for local telecom operations. Owned by Partner Communications Company, the cable is listed as in service, though several technical details about its design remain undisclosed in public sources.
What makes IC-1 notable is its focus on intra-country connectivity, a relatively rare use case for submarine cables, which are more commonly deployed for international links. The cable's relatively short length of 340 km reflects its domestic scope. However, uncertainties about its design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology highlight the lack of publicly available documentation, making it difficult to assess its full capabilities and role in Israel's telecom landscape.
Quick facts
| Cable name | Israel Coasting 1 (IC-1) |
| Length | 340 km |
| Ready-for-service year | 2000 (GeoCables database value; industry sources may vary) |
| Owner | Partner Communications Company |
| Status | In service |
| Design capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points | Ashkelon, Haifa, Herzeliyya, Nahariyya, Netanya, Rishon Le’Zion, Tel Aviv (all in Israel) |
Route
IC-1 connects seven cities along Israel's Mediterranean coast: Ashkelon, Haifa, Herzeliyya, Nahariyya, Netanya, Rishon Le’Zion, and Tel Aviv. This route enables high-speed data transmission between key urban and economic centers within the country. The cable's placement along the coastline minimizes the need for extensive land-based infrastructure, which can be more expensive and prone to disruption.
Each landing point is strategically located in cities with significant population centers or economic activity. For example, Tel Aviv is Israel's largest metropolitan area and a hub for technology and finance, while Haifa is a major port city. The cable's design supports domestic telecom needs rather than international connectivity, making it unique among submarine cables.
Why it was built and what it carries
IC-1 was built to enhance domestic connectivity along Israel's Mediterranean coast. By linking major cities, the cable supports local internet traffic, data services, and telecommunications. Unlike international submarine cables, which are often designed to connect continents, IC-1 focuses exclusively on intra-country communication. This design likely reflects Israel's need for reliable, high-capacity infrastructure to support its urban centers and economic activities.
While the cable's design capacity is not publicly disclosed, it is reasonable to assume that IC-1 plays a significant role in handling domestic data traffic. Its presence reduces reliance on land-based fiber networks, which can be more susceptible to physical damage or congestion.
History: what can be established
GeoCables records IC-1's ready-for-service year as 2000, though no alternative dates have been identified in industry sources. If discrepancies were to arise, they could stem from delays in deployment, phased activation of landing points, or differences in definitions of "ready-for-service" (e.g., partial vs. full operational status).
The cable's ownership by Partner Communications Company aligns with the company's role as a major telecom operator in Israel. However, details about the cable's construction, such as the supplier or specific technology used, remain unavailable in public records.
Capacity and technology
Publicly available data does not disclose IC-1's design capacity, number of fiber pairs, or the technology employed. Without operator documentation, attributing these specifications would be speculative. Given its domestic scope and relatively short length, IC-1 likely employs standard submarine cable technologies, but the absence of specifics limits further analysis.
Latency: the physics
Theoretical calculations indicate one-way light propagation over IC-1's 340 km length is approximately 1.7 milliseconds, with a round-trip time (RTT) floor of about 3.3 milliseconds. These values represent the latency over the wet segment alone, excluding additional delays from land-based infrastructure, terminal equipment, and routing.
Real-world latency measurements would be higher due to these factors. However, no live measurements for IC-1 are currently available, making it impossible to provide empirical latency data.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
In the event of a failure, redundancy for IC-1 could be partially supported by other cables landing at shared points. For example:
However, these alternatives primarily serve international routes rather than domestic connectivity. Repairing IC-1 would follow standard industry practices, involving cable ships equipped with specialized tools to locate, retrieve, and fix the damaged section. Given the cable's short length and coastal proximity, repair operations may be relatively swift compared to longer, deep-sea cables.
Bottom line
- Israel Coasting 1 (IC-1) is a 340 km domestic submarine cable connecting seven cities along Israel's Mediterranean coast.
- Owned by Partner Communications Company, it has been listed as in service since 2000, though some technical details remain undisclosed.
- Its focus on intra-country connectivity makes it unique among submarine cables, which are typically international.
- Theoretical latency is approximately 1.7 ms one-way, but real-world measurements are unavailable.
- Redundancy is partially supported by other cables landing at shared points, though these primarily serve international routes.