Chenega, AK, United States

Chenega, AK: Submarine Cable Landing Point

Chenega is a census-designated place situated on Evans Island in Prince William Sound, Alaska, United States. The community, known locally as Chenega Bay, is home to a Chugach Alutiiq village and sits within the Chugach Census Area. As a submarine cable landing point, Chenega, AK is set to host one submarine cable, connecting it to the broader domestic submarine cable network of the United States.

The single cable landing here, FISH West, is a domestic system linking points within the United States. With a length of 276 km, it is a relatively short system compared to the national average cable length, reflecting a regional or intra-state connectivity role rather than a long-haul intercontinental one. Chenega, AK represents one of 160 submarine cable landing points across the United States, contributing to the country's extensive domestic and international subsea network.

Cables Landing at Chenega, AK

FISH West is a 276 km submarine cable with a Ready for Service (RFS) date of 2027, currently in draft status. The cable connects landing points within the United States, making it a domestic system. As a draft cable, FISH West has not yet entered service, but its planned landing at Chenega, AK indicates the community's anticipated integration into a regional subsea connectivity route within Alaskan or broader U.S. coastal waters.

Regional Context

Among submarine cable landing points in the United States, Chenega, AK is a single-cable landing site, placing it in a different tier from major U.S. hubs such as Boca Raton, FL and San Juan, PR, each of which host eight cables, or Hermosa Beach, CA, Kapolei, HI, and Myrtle Beach, SC, which each host five. Chenega, AK ranks in the top 69% of the 167 United States landing points by cable count, reflecting its status as a smaller, specialized terminus rather than a high-density hub. Its geographic position in Prince William Sound distinguishes it as one of the northernmost landing points in the U.S. submarine cable landscape.

Network Role

Chenega, AK functions as a single-cable terminus, with its entire subsea connectivity tied to the planned FISH West system. The 276 km length of FISH West suggests a regional domestic corridor, likely serving to extend connectivity along the Alaskan coast or between coastal communities within the state. As a draft cable not yet in service, Chenega's role in the active submarine cable network remains prospective, though the planned landing signals recognition of the community as a viable endpoint for regional subsea infrastructure.

Within the broader submarine cable graph of the United States — a country with 113 cables across 160 landing points — Chenega, AK represents the extension of domestic subsea connectivity to small, geographically remote communities, connecting an Alaskan island settlement to the national network through a purpose-built short-haul system.