Orient Island Ring

Overview

The Orient Island Ring is a submarine cable system connecting multiple locations in Spain and Morocco. It serves as a critical telecommunications backbone for the Canary Islands, linking them to the mainland and to Morocco. This cable system enhances connectivity across the region, supporting both local and international communication needs. With its strategic positioning, the Orient Island Ring plays a vital role in fostering economic and technological development in the communities it connects.

Designed to provide high-speed, reliable data transmission, the Orient Island Ring is a key infrastructure element in the Atlantic region. It supports a range of services, including internet access, voice communications, and data transfer. The cable is particularly significant for the Canary Islands, which rely on robust undersea connections to maintain their links with mainland Spain, Morocco, and the broader global network.

Route and landings

The Orient Island Ring has landing points in seven locations: Arrecife, Corralejo, Las Palmas, Playa Blanca, Puerto del Rosario, Tarfaya, and Telde. Six of these landings are in Spain, specifically in the Canary Islands, while the seventh is in Tarfaya, Morocco. This configuration creates a loop that interconnects the islands and extends to the African mainland.

The cable's route traverses the Atlantic Ocean, crossing the waters between the Canary Islands and Morocco. The landing points are strategically chosen to serve major population centers and hubs of economic activity. For example, Las Palmas and Telde are located on Gran Canaria, a key island in the Canary archipelago, while Arrecife and Playa Blanca are on Lanzarote. Corralejo and Puerto del Rosario are situated on Fuerteventura, another significant island in the chain. The Tarfaya landing connects the system to Morocco, providing a vital link to the African continent.

Ownership and history

Details about the ownership and operational history of the Orient Island Ring are not publicly disclosed. However, the cable's design and deployment reflect the growing demand for enhanced connectivity in the Canary Islands and between Spain and Morocco. The inclusion of Tarfaya as a landing point underscores the importance of linking the Canary Islands with North Africa, facilitating cross-border communication and collaboration.

The development of the Orient Island Ring aligns with broader trends in submarine cable infrastructure, where regional systems are increasingly used to address specific connectivity needs. By interconnecting the Canary Islands and linking them to Morocco, the Orient Island Ring contributes to the resilience and redundancy of the region's telecommunications network.

What our measurements show

Our live monitoring of the Orient Island Ring has measured one corridor within the system. The best round-trip time (RTT) recorded is 54 milliseconds, with an average RTT of 54 milliseconds. These measurements indicate a consistent level of performance across the monitored segment.

The RTT values suggest that the Orient Island Ring provides low-latency connections, which are essential for applications requiring real-time communication, such as video conferencing and online gaming. The cable's performance highlights its role in meeting the connectivity demands of the communities it serves, ensuring reliable and efficient data transmission across the network.