Roquetas-Melilla (CAM): Connecting mainland Spain to Melilla
The Roquetas-Melilla (CAM) submarine cable is a telecommunications link connecting
Roquetas de Mar, on mainland Spain, to Melilla, a Spanish autonomous city on the northern coast of Africa. Spanning 181 kilometers, the cable is owned by Telefonica and has been listed as in service since 2014 according to GeoCables records. Its purpose is to provide connectivity between these two locations, supporting both local and international data traffic.
What makes the Roquetas-Melilla (CAM) cable particularly interesting is the scarcity of publicly disclosed technical details. Information about its design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, and technology has not been made available, leaving many aspects of its engineering and operational capabilities open to speculation. Additionally, while GeoCables records its ready-for-service (RFS) year as 2014, there is no confirmation from alternative sources, and discrepancies in industry documentation cannot be ruled out.
Quick facts
| Cable name | Roquetas-Melilla (CAM) |
| Length | 181 km |
| Ready-for-service (RFS) year | 2014 (GeoCables database) |
| Owners | Telefonica |
| Status | In service |
| Design capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points | Melilla (Spain); Roquetas de Mar (Spain) |
| Other cables at Melilla | Almería-Melilla (ALME) |
Route
The Roquetas-Melilla (CAM) cable connects two landing points: Roquetas de Mar, a coastal town in the province of Almería, Andalusia, and Melilla, a Spanish enclave in North Africa. The cable spans the Alboran Sea, a region of the Mediterranean known for its strategic importance in connecting Europe to Africa. Melilla, being a gateway to the African continent, is an important hub for regional telecommunications. Roquetas de Mar, on the other hand, serves as a convenient landing point on the Spanish mainland, linking Melilla to broader European networks.
Why it was built and what it carries
The primary purpose of the Roquetas-Melilla (CAM) cable is to provide reliable telecommunications connectivity between mainland Spain and Melilla. As an autonomous city located on the African continent, Melilla has unique connectivity needs for both local and international communication. The cable likely supports a mix of voice, data, and internet traffic, enabling Melilla to maintain strong links to Spain and the rest of Europe.
The presence of another cable, the Almería-Melilla (ALME), suggests that redundancy and additional capacity were considerations in the region's cable planning. The CAM cable complements existing infrastructure, ensuring continuity of service in case of disruptions to other routes.
History: what can be established
GeoCables records the ready-for-service year of the Roquetas-Melilla (CAM) cable as 2014. However, no alternative sources confirming this date are available, and it is possible that discrepancies exist in industry documentation. If conflicting dates were to surface, potential explanations could include delays in construction, staggered commissioning of segments, or differences in definitions of "ready-for-service" (e.g., technical completion versus commercial operation).
Telefonica, the owner of the cable, is a major telecommunications operator in Spain and has extensive experience deploying both terrestrial and submarine infrastructure. While specific details about the planning, construction, and commissioning of the CAM cable are not publicly disclosed, it is reasonable to assume that standard industry practices were followed, including marine surveys, cable laying, and burial to minimize risks from fishing, anchoring, and other seabed activities.
Capacity and technology
No information about the design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, or technology of the Roquetas-Melilla (CAM) cable is publicly available. Without operator documentation, attributing specific technical characteristics would be speculative. It is likely that the cable employs optical fiber technology, as is standard for modern submarine cables, but details such as wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) capabilities or repeater configurations remain unknown.
Latency: the physics
The theoretical one-way light propagation time over the 181-kilometer wet segment of the Roquetas-Melilla (CAM) cable is approximately 0.9 milliseconds, calculated based on the speed of light in optical fiber (200-204,000 km/s). The theoretical round-trip time (RTT) floor over the wet segment is approximately 1.8 milliseconds. However, real-world latency measurements would be higher due to factors such as land-based tails, terminal equipment delays, and network routing overhead. No live latency measurements for this cable are currently available.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
In the event of a disruption to the Roquetas-Melilla (CAM) cable, Melilla would likely rely on the Almería-Melilla (ALME) cable for continuity of service. Redundancy is a critical consideration in submarine cable networks, especially for geographically isolated locations like Melilla. Repairs to submarine cables typically involve specialized vessels and crews, which locate the fault, retrieve the damaged segment, and replace or splice the cable. Depending on the nature of the fault and weather conditions, repair times can vary significantly.
Bottom line
- The Roquetas-Melilla (CAM) cable connects Roquetas de Mar in mainland Spain to Melilla in North Africa.
- Spanning 181 kilometers, it has been listed as in service since 2014, though alternative confirmations of this date are unavailable.
- Owned by Telefonica, the cable's design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology have not been publicly disclosed.
- Theoretical latency over the wet segment is approximately 0.9 ms one-way, but real-world RTT is higher.
- Redundancy is provided by the Almería-Melilla (ALME) cable, ensuring connectivity for Melilla in case of disruptions.