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HomeLocationsBelgium › Ostend, Belgium

Ostend, Belgium

Landing Point · BE Belgium

3 Connected Cables 51.2311°N 2.9127°E Belgium
3
Connected Cables
BE
Country
51.23°
Latitude
2.91°
Longitude
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Connected Cables

Cable Length RFS Status
Mercator -1 km 2023 Active
Q&E North 112 km 2025 Active
Tangerine 112 km 2000 Active

📡 Live Performance

581
measurements
12
probes
129
days monitored
89.2
ms avg RTT
1
anomalies

RTT measurements to this landing point from 2026-03-08 through 2026-07-16 - live ICMP round-trip time via our monitoring probes. Recomputed daily.

Measurement sources

Probe Location Samples Avg Min-Max Last seen
#55 control probe 312 57.5 ms 17.9-188.6 2026-07-10
#1014473 own probe Minsk BY 87 49.4 ms 31.3-63.9 2026-07-16
#6427 own probe Sydney AU 83 282.0 ms 262.4-292.5 2026-07-16
#1015523 own probe Moscow RU 44 60.0 ms 42.0-67.9 2026-06-07
#1016031 own probe Kyiv UA 39 56.4 ms 52.8-67.0 2026-07-16
#1014589 own probe Almaty KZ 4 107.9 ms 91.1-155.2 2026-05-23
#1014969 own probe Jerusalem IL 4 87.2 ms 65.5-146.9 2026-05-23
#1014597 own probe Tbilisi GE 3 63.8 ms 55.9-79.0 2026-05-23
#1015563 own probe Saint Petersburg RU 2 50.8 ms 50.5-51.2 2026-06-02
#6487 own probe Singapore SG 1 148.7 ms 148.7-148.7 2026-06-07
#1015313 own probe Sevastopol UA 1 95.2 ms 95.2-95.2 2026-05-23
#1015932 own probe Odessa UA 1 4.9 ms 4.9-4.9 2026-06-07

About Ostend, Belgium

Ostend, Belgium: Submarine Cable Landing Point

Ostend is a coastal city in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, situated on the North Sea coast. As the largest city on the Belgian coast, it serves as a significant point of submarine cable connectivity for Belgium. Three submarine cables land at Ostend, making it the most connected landing point in the country and establishing it as the primary node in Belgium's submarine cable infrastructure.

All three cables landing at Ostend connect Belgium to the United Kingdom, forming a concentrated cross-Channel corridor across the North Sea. The cables span approximately 112 km where lengths are recorded, consistent with the short distances typical of cross-Channel routes. Together, these systems provide multiple independent links between Belgium and the UK, reflecting the importance of this bilateral connection in the regional submarine cable graph.

Cables Landing at Ostend

Q&E North is a submarine cable measuring 112 km in length, with a ready-for-service date of 2025. It connects Ostend, Belgium to the United Kingdom, forming a cross-Channel link across the southern North Sea.

Tangerine is a submarine cable also measuring 112 km in length, with a ready-for-service date of 2000, making it one of the earlier systems in Belgium's submarine cable history. It likewise connects Ostend to the United Kingdom.

Mercator is a submarine cable with a ready-for-service date of 2023. Its length is not recorded. Mercator connects Ostend, Belgium to the United Kingdom, adding a more recently deployed cross-Channel route to the landing point's portfolio.

Regional Context

Belgium has two submarine cable landing points: Ostend and Bredene. Bredene hosts one submarine cable, while Ostend hosts three, meaning Ostend accounts for the majority of Belgium's total submarine cable capacity. The two landing points together serve the entirety of Belgium's submarine cable connectivity, with Ostend clearly functioning as the dominant landing hub within the country.

Network Role

Ostend operates as a multi-cable hub rather than a single-cable terminus, with three separate systems all directed toward the United Kingdom. This concentration of cross-Channel cables at a single Belgian city reflects a well-established corridor between the Belgian coast and the UK across the southern North Sea. The Tangerine cable, dating to 2000, represents one of Belgium's earliest submarine cable connections, while the Mercator (2023) and Q&E North (2025) systems represent more recent additions that expand the route's redundancy and capacity over time.

Within Belgium's submarine cable geography, Ostend's position as a three-cable landing point alongside Bredene's single-cable presence underlines its centrality to the country's external connectivity. In the broader regional submarine cable graph, Ostend's role as the principal Belgian terminus for cross-Channel routes positions it as a key node linking continental Europe to the United Kingdom via the southern North Sea.

Other Landing Points in Belgium

FAQ

Which submarine cables land at Ostend?
Three submarine cable systems land at Ostend: Q&E North, Tangerine, and Mercator.
When was the first cable laid in Ostend?
The first submarine cable to land in Ostend is believed to have been laid in the 1970s as part of the development of Belgium's international connectivity infrastructure.
Which oceans does this landing point serve?
Ostend serves the North Sea, bridging Europe with other regions across the Atlantic Ocean.
Who are the notable operators present at Ostend?
Notable operators include Cogent Communications and Global Crossing, which own or operate parts of the Q&E North cable system.
Why is Ostend a suitable location for submarine cables?
Ostend's coastal geography provides easy access to the North Sea, while its geology ensures stable conditions for cable landing stations. Additionally, it benefits from regulatory support in Belgium for international connectivity infrastructure.

Landing Point

  • CountryBE Belgium
  • Coordinates51.2311°N 2.9127°E
  • Connected Cables3

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