The 2Africa consortium, promoter of the broadband connection between Europe, Africa and Asia, has reached a new milestone with the arrival of the submarine cable in Barcelona, where it will have one of its 46 bases. Deployment will continue in the coming months until completion in 2024. The company AFR-IX telecom, an internet provider on the African continent with headquarters in Barcelona, will be responsible for mooring the cable to the landing station, which will be located in Sant Adrià de Besòs.

The consortium consists of an important group of African and global operators providing internet access, 4G and 5G to billions of people. The announcement on this occasion was made by Meta, one of the partners and a strong supporter of submarine cables, which do, as its General Manager for Spain and Portugal Irene Cano said, "lay the foundations for a global internet connecting people and continents, and which will probably play a major role in Europe's ongoing development".

An international connectivity hub
Barcelona will be an important hub of international connectivity for the 2Africa cable, which will be the longest in the world at no less than 45,000 kilometres, connecting some three billion people. The station will link the African cable to the main data centres in southern Europe, and to the cables running to North and South America. As Cano explained, 2Africa "will serve communities that depend on the internet for services, such as education, health and business".

AFR-IX telecom CEO, Norman Albi, said, "We are very excited to start operations at our station with 2Africa, one of the leading submarine cable systems. The choice of this location showcases Barcelona's competitive advantages as a key landing point in the Mediterranean."

Economic growth
For Meta, the arrival of the cable in Barcelona could be a "catalyst for change in the broadband market" that could lead to economic growth for its population and businesses. According to an independent study commissioned by the US company, the Marea cable that links Bilbao to Virginia Beach (United States) has contributed some 18 billion dollars a year to the European economy since 2019.

The Barcelona Cable Landing Station project was born in 2019. With the arrival of 2Africa, the city now hosts the first of eight international submarine cable systems to be served by the station. The station provides its operators with a neutral, safe and protected landing, as well as services such as terrestrial fibre routes and engineering and consultancy services.

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