Cayenne, French Guiana

Position in regional infrastructure

Cayenne is the prefecture and capital of French Guiana, sitting on the Atlantic coast of South America at coordinates 4.922420°N, 52.313453°W. As an overseas region of France, French Guiana legally and administratively belongs to the European Union despite its South American geography — a fact that shapes its submarine cable infrastructure profile. Two cables land at Cayenne: a regional Caribbean-South America link (Deep Blue One) and a major transatlantic system (EllaLink) that gives French Guiana direct fibre access to both Africa and Europe.

The combination of these two cables makes Cayenne unusually well-connected for a city of its size. EllaLink is one of the highest-profile transatlantic cables of the 2020s, deliberately designed to provide a direct Europe-Brazil route bypassing the historic North-Atlantic-via-USA path. Cayenne benefits from being on the EllaLink spur as the only French Guianese landing — placing the territory directly on a major Europe-South America fibre artery.

Submarine cables landing in Cayenne

EllaLink is a 6,200 km submarine cable system in service since 2021, owned by EllaLink. From Cayenne it connects to Fortaleza in Brazil and Praia in Cape Verde, then onward to Nouadhibou (Mauritania), Casablanca (Morocco), Funchal in Portuguese Madeira, and Sines in mainland Portugal. EllaLink is the first major transatlantic cable to provide a direct fibre route between Europe and South America without transiting through US landings — an explicit goal of the project, reducing latency from Brazil to Europe by approximately 50% versus the historic via-USA routes.

Deep Blue One is a 2,250 km submarine cable system in service since 2024, owned by Digicel. From Cayenne it reaches Georgetown in Guyana, Paramaribo in Suriname, and two landings in Trinidad and Tobago (Chaguaramas and Rockly Bay). Deep Blue One is a regional Caribbean-Guianas system providing direct fibre connectivity between French Guiana and its non-French Caribbean neighbours, reducing dependency on transit via Brazil or via more distant Caribbean hubs.

Connection topology and redundancy

The two cables at Cayenne provide complementary rather than redundant connectivity. EllaLink is the long-haul international path (Europe + Africa + Brazil); Deep Blue One is the regional South America-Caribbean spur. A fault on EllaLink would leave Cayenne dependent on Deep Blue One plus onward terrestrial fibre to Brazil to reach intercontinental backbones — an arrangement that works but adds latency and cost. A fault on Deep Blue One affects only the Guianas-Caribbean leg and does not interrupt European or Brazilian connectivity.

Both cables were deployed in the 2020s (EllaLink 2021, Deep Blue One 2024), making Cayenne's submarine infrastructure relatively modern. The two operators (EllaLink and Digicel) are commercially distinct — neither is a French national operator — which gives Cayenne international cable connectivity independent of the historic France-Telecom-aligned operators that traditionally served French overseas territories.

Geography and coordinates

The Cayenne submarine cable landing sits at 4.922420°N, 52.313453°W (4°55'21"N, 52°18'48"W) on the Atlantic coast of South America, in French Guiana. The city stands on a former island at the mouth of the Cayenne River; the cable shore-end uses the protected approaches in the river estuary area before reaching open Atlantic waters. Cayenne is the largest francophone city of the South American continent.

Frequently asked questions

What submarine cables land at Cayenne, French Guiana?

Two submarine cables land at Cayenne: EllaLink (transatlantic Europe-Africa-Brazil, RFS 2021) and Deep Blue One (Caribbean-Guianas regional, RFS 2024).

What are the coordinates of the Cayenne cable landing?

The Cayenne cable landing is at 4.922420°N, 52.313453°W (4°55'21"N, 52°18'48"W), on the Atlantic coast of French Guiana at the mouth of the Cayenne River.

Which countries connect to French Guiana through Cayenne?

Through EllaLink, Cayenne reaches Brazil (Fortaleza), Cape Verde (Praia), Mauritania (Nouadhibou), Morocco (Casablanca), and Portugal (Funchal Madeira and Sines). Through Deep Blue One, Cayenne reaches Guyana (Georgetown), Suriname (Paramaribo), and Trinidad and Tobago (two landings).

When was the first submarine cable laid at Cayenne?

The earliest documented Cayenne landing in the GeoCables dataset is EllaLink, in service since 2021. Deep Blue One followed in 2024.

Who operates the cables landing at Cayenne?

EllaLink is operated by EllaLink (the cable consortium). Deep Blue One is owned by Digicel, the Caribbean telecommunications operator.