Which islands does it connect?

It links Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote as part of the RING project.

Public operator Canalink (Cabildo de Tenerife/ITER); it was laid by the cable ship Teliri.

What do I gain as a user?

Mainly resilience: if one line fails, a second route takes over, making payments, public services and internet more stable.

Is faster internet available immediately?

Not automatically. The subsea lay is done, but reports say the full ring is due to enter service only in late September 2026.

FUERTEVENTURA · ECONOMY

New Undersea Cable Improves Fuerteventura's Connectivity

Fuerteventura is now better plugged into the digital world. On 8 August 2026, network operator Canalink completed the undersea laying of a new fibre-optic branch that ties the island into the eastern Canaries cable network. The sources are explicit that this is a fibre-optic telecommunications cable – not an electrical interconnection.

10 August 2026 · By Martin Kosinski · 5 min · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief

Photo: Norbert Nagel, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Germany, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Symbolbild).

The link forms part of the RING project, which joins Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote by sea. For residents, businesses and the tourism sector, it promises more capacity and, above all, greater resilience.

What was completed

According to Canalink, the new branch for southern Fuerteventura was connected to the main trunk via a subsea branching unit. The route runs from Ojos de Garza beach on Gran Canaria to the coast near Matas Blancas (Costa Calma, in the municipality of Pájara). The cable ship Teliri carried out the deployment.

Project descriptions point to two landing points on Fuerteventura – near Puerto del Rosario and Corralejo – now complemented by the southern connection at Matas Blancas.

Who is behind it

The operator is Canalink, a public company owned by Tenerife's island council (Cabildo) and run through its technology and renewable-energy institute, ITER. Managing director Rubén Molowny was quoted as saying the connection will give Fuerteventura “an infrastructure with greater capacity and more continuity guarantees” – critical for an island that depends on robust communications.

The RING project in context

RING lays two independent submarine cables in a ring, so traffic can be rerouted if one line is damaged. Media reports put the full ring at around 553 kilometres of subsea cable, replacing older infrastructure estimated to be about 25 years old. Total investment is reported at roughly €34 million, of which some €23 million comes from the EU's Connecting Europe Facility.

Why it matters for the island

The main benefit is resilience: if one line fails, the second takes over. That protects services that rely on stable links – card payments in shops and hotels, digital public services, and everyday phone and internet at home. For an island whose economy leans heavily on tourism, dependable connectivity is a tangible economic asset.

What happens next

The new southern branch was backed by a direct subsidy of about €4.8 million approved by Spain's Council of Ministers on 30 October 2025 and channelled through the Ministry for Digital Transformation. The complete ring is expected to be finished by late September 2026, weather permitting. Operators served reportedly include Vodafone, Masorange and Maroc Telecom.

Tip for remote workers: If you work on Fuerteventura as a digital nomad or from a home office, the twin-route design mainly helps with stability – a second path absorbs outages.
For critical video calls, a mobile (4G/5G) backup is still worth keeping.

What remains open: Specific figures for the transmission capacity and the exact length of the new branch were not published.
Also, a completed subsea lay does not automatically mean faster internet for end users right away – full commissioning of the ring is only announced for late September 2026.

Key facts

Cable type: fibre-optic telecommunications cable (not electrical) – per Canalink
Operator: Canalink (Cabildo de Tenerife / ITER); managing director Rubén Molowny
Route: Ojos de Garza (Gran Canaria) to Matas Blancas (Pájara, Fuerteventura); cable ship Teliri
Laying completed: 8 August 2026
Southern-branch funding: about €4.8 million (Council of Ministers, 30 Oct 2025)
Full ring: about 553 km and roughly €34 million (some €23 million EU/CEF) – per media reports

FAQ

Is this a power cable or a data cable?: A data cable: Canalink states it is a fibre-optic telecommunications cable, not an electrical interconnection.
Which islands does it connect?: It links Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote as part of the RING project.
Who built it?: Public operator Canalink (Cabildo de Tenerife/ITER); it was laid by the cable ship Teliri.
What do I gain as a user?: Mainly resilience: if one line fails, a second route takes over, making payments, public services and internet more stable.
Is faster internet available immediately?: Not automatically. The subsea lay is done, but reports say the full ring is due to enter service only in late September 2026.

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