Connectivity at Sao Filipe, Cape Verde
Sao Filipe, located on the island of Fogo in Cape Verde, is one of the country's ten submarine cable landing points. While it hosts just one cable-the Cabo Verde Telecom Domestic Submarine Cable Phase 3-it plays a meaningful role in the domestic network that links the islands of this Atlantic archipelago. This cable, operational since 2011, connects Sao Filipe to seven other landing points across Cape Verde, ensuring that Fogo remains integrated into the nation's broader digital infrastructure.
A Domestic Link in a Distributed Network
Unlike Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, which boasts five cables and serves as a hub for international connectivity, Sao Filipe is purely domestic. The cable here does not provide direct international access but instead serves as a critical node in the chain connecting the islands. Through this network, data flows from Sao Filipe to larger hubs like Praia or Sao Pedro, where international cables connect Cape Verde to the rest of the world. This layered approach ensures that even smaller or more remote islands like Fogo remain digitally connected.
Regional Context: A Balanced Network
Cape Verde's submarine cable system is designed to stitch together its dispersed islands, balancing connectivity across major and minor points. While Sao Filipe hosts only one cable, it ranks in the top half of Cape Verde's landing points by cable count. Other locations, such as Praia and Sao Pedro, serve as multi-cable hubs, while Murdeira, like Sao Filipe, hosts just one cable. This distributed infrastructure reflects the country's commitment to ensuring that even less populous areas like Fogo are part of the national network.
Latency Insights: Reliable Performance
GeoCables' monitoring of Sao Filipe reveals an average round-trip latency of 185 milliseconds, with the best observed latency at 105 milliseconds. These figures demonstrate consistent performance for domestic traffic, enabling residents and businesses on Fogo to access services and communicate effectively with other islands. While international latency depends on connections through larger hubs, the domestic cable ensures that Sao Filipe remains part of the digital fabric of Cape Verde.
Conclusion
Sao Filipe's single cable may not rival the multi-cable hubs of Praia or Sao Pedro, but its role in the
Cabo Verde Telecom Domestic Submarine Cable Phase 3 is essential for connecting Fogo to the rest of the archipelago. This domestic link allows the island's residents to participate in Cape Verde's growing digital economy, whether through education, local business, or communication with other islands. In a nation defined by its geography, Sao Filipe's connectivity ensures that Fogo remains a key part of the Cape Verdean story.