Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy: Submarine Cable Landing Point

Genoa, the capital of the Liguria region on Italy's northwestern coast, is one of the country's most significant submarine cable landing points. Seven submarine cables terminate at Genoa, making it one of the busiest landing points in Italy and positioning it firmly within the upper tier of the country's cable infrastructure. Among the most notable systems landing here are 2Africa, one of the longest submarine cable systems in the world at 45,000 km, and Blue, a Mediterranean system connecting Genoa to Cyprus, France, Greece, Israel, and Jordan.

The cables landing at Genoa collectively enable connectivity across a broad range of corridors: intercontinental links reaching sub-Saharan Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Indian Ocean region, as well as regional Mediterranean links connecting Western and Eastern Mediterranean nations. Genoa's cable mix spans both long-haul intercontinental systems and shorter intra-Mediterranean routes, reflecting its role as a point of convergence between Western Europe and multiple southern and eastern maritime corridors.

Cables Landing at Genoa, Italy

2Africa is a 45,000 km system with a ready-for-service date of 2024. In addition to Genoa, it connects to Angola, Bahrain, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Djibouti, among others, forming one of the longest submarine cable loops serving the African continent and extending into the Middle East.

Blue is a 5,055 km cable that reached ready-for-service status in 2023. It links Genoa with Cyprus, France, Greece, Israel, and Jordan, forming a multi-branch Eastern and Central Mediterranean network connecting southern Europe with the Levant.

EMC West-1 is a 3,639 km system with a projected RFS date of 2027. It connects Genoa to Greece, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, extending the landing point's reach into the Red Sea corridor and the broader Middle East region.

Medloop is a 1,360 km cable that became ready for service in 2023. It links Genoa with France and Spain, providing a short-haul Western Mediterranean route connecting three of Southern Europe's largest economies.

Unitirreno is a 1,156 km domestic cable with a projected RFS of 2025, connecting Genoa to other landing points within Italy and supporting intra-national submarine connectivity along the Italian peninsula.

Barracuda is a 1,050 km system with a projected RFS of 2028, connecting Genoa to Spain and adding a further Western Mediterranean link to the landing point's portfolio.

ANDROMEDA is a cable currently in the draft stage. It connects Genoa with Greece, Israel, and Jordan, reinforcing the Eastern Mediterranean dimension of Genoa's cable network alongside other systems serving the Levant.

Regional Context

Within Italy's submarine cable landscape — which spans 37 cables across 55 landing points — Genoa ranks among the most active, hosting 7 cables and placing it in the top 98% of Italian landing points by cable count. It trails only Mazara del Vallo, which hosts 9 cables, and sits above Catania with 5 cables, Bari with 4, and Civitavecchia, Lampedusa, and Linosa, each hosting 2 cables. Genoa is therefore the second most connected submarine cable landing point in Italy by cable count.

Network Role

Genoa functions as a multi-cable hub rather than a single-cable terminus, aggregating systems that span intercontinental, regional, and domestic scales. Its cable set simultaneously addresses Western Mediterranean routing through Medloop and Barracuda, Eastern Mediterranean and Levant connectivity through Blue, EMC West-1, and ANDROMEDA, intercontinental reach into Africa and the Middle East through 2Africa, and domestic Italian connectivity through Unitirreno. The combination of long-haul and short-haul systems at a single landing point gives Genoa a distinctive position within the Italian submarine cable graph, bridging multiple distinct cable corridors from a single northwestern Italian coastal hub.