Whidbey Island-Camano Island: A Short Submarine Link in Washington State
The Whidbey Island-Camano Island submarine cable is a short fiber-optic system connecting
Cama Beach on Camano Island to
Greenbank on Whidbey Island, both located in Washington State, United States. Spanning just 4 kilometers, it is among the shortest submarine cables in operation globally. Owned by Whidbey Telecom, the cable has been listed as in service since 1999 according to GeoCables records.
What makes this cable notable is its localized scope, serving as a critical link between two islands in Puget Sound. Despite its small scale, it plays an important role in providing connectivity for residents and businesses in the area. However, much about its technical specifications, such as design capacity, fiber pair count, and supplier, remains undisclosed in public sources, leaving certain aspects of its construction and operation uncertain.
Quick facts
| Cable name | Whidbey Island-Camano Island |
| Length | 4 km |
| Ready for service | 1999 (GeoCables database value) |
| Owners | Whidbey Telecom |
| Status | In service |
| Design capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points | Cama Beach (United States); Greenbank (United States) |
🗺 Show Whidbey Island-Camano Island on the interactive cable map
Route
The cable connects two landing points: Cama Beach on Camano Island and Greenbank on Whidbey Island. Both islands are situated in Puget Sound, a complex estuarine system in Washington State. The short distance between the two islands-approximately 4 kilometers-makes this cable one of the shortest submarine systems globally. The corridor is entirely within U.S. territorial waters, simplifying regulatory and maintenance considerations compared to international cables.
Why it was built and what it carries
The Whidbey Island-Camano Island cable was built to provide reliable telecommunications connectivity between the two islands. Whidbey Telecom, a local operator, likely deployed the system to meet the needs of residential and business customers in the region. The cable supports internet, voice, and potentially other data services, though specific details about its capacity and technology are not publicly disclosed.
Given the localized scope of the cable, it is unlikely to carry significant transit traffic beyond the immediate area. Instead, its primary function is to serve as an inter-island link within the Puget Sound region.
History: what can be established
GeoCables records indicate that the cable entered service in 1999. No conflicting dates have been identified in publicly available industry sources, so this year is accepted as accurate. The cable has remained operational since its deployment, with Whidbey Telecom listed as its owner throughout its history.
Capacity and technology
Publicly available information does not disclose the design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, or specific technology used in the Whidbey Island-Camano Island cable. Without documentation from Whidbey Telecom or other authoritative sources, these details cannot be reliably established. Given the short distance of the cable, it is reasonable to assume that its capacity is sufficient for the localized demand it serves, but attributing specific figures would be speculative.
Latency: the physics
The theoretical one-way light propagation time over the 4-kilometer wet segment of the cable is approximately 0.0 milliseconds, assuming light travels through fiber at speeds between 200,000 and 204,000 kilometers per second. The round-trip time (RTT) for the wet segment is similarly negligible, at approximately 0.0 milliseconds. However, real-world latency measurements are higher due to additional factors such as land tails, terminal equipment, and routing.
Live measurements from remote probes show latency values to Cama Beach from various global locations. These measurements, ranging from 167.0 ms (Moscow) to 273.4 ms (Cape Town), reflect the full internet path rather than the cable itself. They include routing through terrestrial and other submarine systems, making them unsuitable for isolating the cable's contribution to latency.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
Given the cable's short length and localized scope, redundancy in the corridor would likely depend on alternative terrestrial or microwave links between Camano Island and Whidbey Island. Repair logistics for a cable of this size and location are relatively straightforward compared to longer international systems. Standard industry practice involves deploying a cable repair vessel to locate and fix faults, often within days or weeks of the incident. However, specific redundancy arrangements for this cable are not publicly documented.
Bottom line
- The Whidbey Island-Camano Island cable spans 4 kilometers, connecting two islands in Washington State.
- Owned by Whidbey Telecom, it has been listed as in service since 1999.
- Technical specifications such as design capacity, fiber pairs, and supplier remain undisclosed.
- Theoretical latency over the wet segment is negligible, but real-world RTT includes other network factors.
- Redundancy likely relies on terrestrial or microwave alternatives, though specifics are not documented.