2Africa Submarine Cable Lands in Barcelona

As part of the 2Africa consortium, Meta announces the arrival of the 2Africa submarine cable in Spain. Submarine cables lay the foundation for a global Internet, connecting people and continents, and are likely to play a significant role in Europe’s current development. This deployment is one of many to take place in the coming months as the cable will be extended to a total of 46 locations by project completion in 2024.

2Africa has partnered with AFR-IX telecom to carry out the mooring of the cable in Sant Adrià de Besòs, east of Barcelona. As in all 2Africa open access mooring ecosystems, companies and service providers located in Spain will be able to access this international connectivity from any of the company’s multiple independent facilities with direct connection to the mooring station of the Barcelona cable.

As part of the 2Africa consortium, we announce the arrival of the 2Africa submarine cable in Barcelona. Submarine cables lay the foundation for a global Internet, connecting people and continents, and will likely play a significant role in Europe’s current development. 2Africa will be the longest submarine cable ever deployed, serving those communities that rely on the Internet for services such as education, healthcare and business.

Irene Cano, Director, Meta for Spain and Portugal

We are delighted to start operating at our station with 2Africa, one of the most important submarine cable systems. The choice of this location is an example of Barcelona’s competitive advantages as a key landing point in the Mediterranean.

Norman Albi, CEO, AFR-IX

Announced in May 2020, the 2Africa submarine cable is designed to offer international connectivity to approximately three billion people, representing 36% of the world’s population, connecting three continents: Africa, Europe and Asia.

At 45,000 km, it will be the longest submarine cable ever deployed, serving those communities that depend on the Internet for services, from education to healthcare to business, and all will experience the economic and social benefits that stem from this increased connectivity.

Commissioned studies show that new cable landings are a catalyst for change in the broadband market. They often translate into economic growth for the surrounding population, benefiting individuals and businesses. For example, according to an independent study, the Marea cable -which runs from Virginia Beach (United States) to Bilbao (Spain)- contributes some 18,000 million dollars each year to the European economy since 2019. 

Meta is focused on accelerating the evolution of infrastructure to help bring social technologies to life. We collaborate with industry – including mobile operators, service providers, equipment manufacturers, and policymakers, among others – to develop technologies, business models, and insights that enable our partners and people around the world to improve the quality of your Internet connections for the best experiences today and in the future.