New CAM Ring: A regional submarine cable connecting Portugal's mainland and islands
The New CAM Ring is a submarine cable system connecting mainland Portugal to the Madeira and Azores archipelagos. Owned by IP Telecom, it spans a total length of 3812 km and is listed as in service, with a recorded ready-for-service (RFS) year of 2026 in the GeoCables database. Its landing points include
Carcavelos,
Funchal,
Machico,
Sines,
São Miguel, and
Terceira. The cable's primary purpose is to enhance connectivity between Portugal's mainland and its island territories, supporting regional communication and data transfer.
What stands out about the New CAM Ring is the lack of publicly disclosed technical details, such as design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology. This absence of information makes it challenging to assess its full capabilities and performance. Additionally, while the GeoCables database lists the RFS year as 2026, no live latency measurements are available, leaving the real-world performance of the cable open to interpretation.
Quick facts
| Name | New CAM Ring |
| Length | 3812 km |
| Ready-for-Service Year | 2026 (GeoCables database) |
| Owner | IP Telecom |
| Status | Listed as in service |
| Design Capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber Pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing Points | Carcavelos, Funchal, Machico, Sines, São Miguel, Terceira |
Route
The New CAM Ring connects several key locations in Portugal, both on the mainland and across its island territories. The landing points are:
- Carcavelos (mainland Portugal)
- Funchal (Madeira)
- Machico (Madeira)
- Sines (mainland Portugal)
- São Miguel (Azores)
- Terceira (Azores)
Carcavelos and Sines serve as mainland hubs, while Funchal and Machico provide connectivity to Madeira. São Miguel and Terceira extend the cable's reach to the Azores. This route enhances regional connectivity and supports data exchange between Portugal's mainland and its islands.
Why it was built and what it carries
The New CAM Ring was built to strengthen communication infrastructure between mainland Portugal and its island territories. By linking these regions, the cable facilitates faster and more reliable data transfer, supporting economic activities, public services, and digital connectivity in remote areas. It likely carries a mix of internet traffic, private data, and possibly government communications, although specific details about its payload are not publicly disclosed.
History: what can be established
The GeoCables database lists the New CAM Ring as ready for service in 2026. However, no conflicting RFS years have been identified in publicly available industry sources, leaving the 2026 date as the most reliable reference. The cable is currently listed as in service, suggesting that it may already be operational, but further confirmation from IP Telecom or other sources would be required to clarify its exact status.
Capacity and technology
Publicly available information does not disclose the design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or technology used in the New CAM Ring. Without operator documentation or announcements, these parameters remain speculative. The absence of this data limits the ability to evaluate the cable's technical sophistication and its role in the broader telecommunications network.
Latency: the physics
Theoretical latency calculations for the New CAM Ring, based on its length of 3812 km, suggest a one-way light propagation time of approximately 18.7 milliseconds. The theoretical round-trip time (RTT) for the wet segment is around 37.4 milliseconds, assuming light travels at 200,000 to 204,000 km/s in fiber. However, real-world latency is higher due to additional factors such as land tails, terminal equipment delays, and routing inefficiencies. No live measurements are currently available for this cable, which means its actual performance remains unverified.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
The New CAM Ring operates in regions where alternative submarine cables are present. At Carcavelos, other cables include
2Africa,
Africa Coast to Europe (ACE),
BUGIO,
Columbus-III Azores-Portugal,
Continente-Madeira,
Medusa Submarine Cable System, and
Olisipo. Funchal is served by CAM Ring, Continente-Madeira, and
EllaLink. Sines hosts EllaLink,
Nuvem, and Olisipo, while São Miguel connects to Nuvem and Sol. These alternatives provide redundancy in case of outages or maintenance on the New CAM Ring, although the specific impact on regional connectivity would depend on traffic routing and capacity constraints.
Repairing submarine cables typically involves deploying specialized cable ships equipped with tools to locate, retrieve, and repair damaged segments. Repairs can take days to weeks, depending on the nature of the damage and environmental conditions.
Bottom line
- The New CAM Ring connects mainland Portugal to Madeira and the Azores, spanning 3812 km.
- Owned by IP Telecom, it is listed as in service, with a recorded RFS year of 2026.
- Technical details such as design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology are not publicly disclosed.
- Theoretical latency is approximately 37.4 ms RTT for the wet segment, but real-world performance is unknown.
- Redundancy is provided by several other cables in the region, minimizing the impact of outages.