Mauritania s Direct-Buried Optical Fiber Cable

Mauritania is establishing a direct, high-capacity optical fiber connection to Europe via a new subsea cable landing in Nouadhibou, enhancing digital connectivity and resilience.

Project Overview

Mauritania, through its Ministry of Digital Transformation and Administrative Modernization (MTNMA), has partnered with EllaLink to construct a second international subsea cable directly linking the country to Madrid, Spain. This initiative complements the existing ACE (Africa Coast to Europe) cable system, providing a diverse and secure international connection for the country . The project is co-funded by the European Union through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and supported by the European Investment Bank .

Technical Specifications

• Cable Landing Station (CLS): Located in Nouadhibou, Mauritania's second-largest city, serving as the national access point for operators .
• Subsea Branch: Extends over 500–670 km from the main EllaLink trunk to Nouadhibou .
• Fiber Pairs: Equipped with two high-capacity fiber pairs using advanced optical technologies, including ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer) and WSS (Wavelength Selective Switch) for dynamic wavelength routing .
• Initial Capacity: 200 Gbps low-latency direct circuit from Nouadhibou to EllaLink's Point of Presence in Madrid, scalable to multi-terabit capacity for future growth .
• Construction and Maintenance: Alcatel Submarine Networks is responsible for the subsea section, while EllaLink manages long-term operation and maintenance .

Strategic Benefits

• Enhanced Connectivity: Provides Mauritanian operators, public institutions, and innovators with direct, low-latency access to European cloud, AI, and data services .
• Digital Sovereignty: Strengthens national digital security and reduces dependency on a single international link .
• Economic and Social Impact: Supports sectors such as e-government, education, healthcare, agriculture, transport, and energy, enabling digital transformation and economic growth .
• Resilience: Offers a diverse route to mitigate risks of service disruption, ensuring continuity of critical digital services .
• Long-Term Capacity: Designed to accommodate decades of traffic growth, with infrastructure expected to remain relevant for the next 25 years .

Timeline

Construction has already begun, and the infrastructure is projected to be operational by early 2027 . Upon completion, Mauritania will transition from being a passive recipient of international connectivity to a fully integrated participant in global telecommunications networks . This project marks a significant step in Mauritania's digital strategy, positioning the country as a regional digital hub in West Africa and providing a cost-effective, high-capacity gateway to Europe.