Chile Navy, Operators Sign Cable Protection Agreement

Armada de Chile, Navy News
November 5, 2026

Chile's First Naval Zone has signed a memorandum of understanding with Cirion, Gtd and Telxius to explore cooperation on the security, protection, resilience and continuity of submarine telecommunications cables. The agreement was signed on Wednesday at the National Maritime Museum in Valparaíso. The Navy announced the memorandum on Thursday, identifying the companies as owners of submarine cables with landing points in the region.

The memorandum focuses on possible collaboration in exceptional situations that could require Navy involvement. Its practical objectives include permanent communication channels and the development of coordination protocols for incidents, crises or conflicts affecting communications continuity. These are areas for joint work under the memorandum; the announcement describes a cooperation framework whose specific protocols are still to be developed.

A coordination committee is envisaged with representatives from the First Naval Zone, Chile's Directorate General of Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine, and each participating company. Its stated tasks are to advance specific protocols progressively and keep contact details current. For operators, that structure would provide a common forum for discussing how naval, maritime and company representatives communicate when continuity is at risk.

The Navy links the initiative to the concentration of important cable landing points in Valparaíso. At the signing, First Naval Zone commander Rear Admiral Raúl Silva described plans for regular coordination meetings with the companies. Gtd general manager Fernando Gana emphasized sustained public-private cooperation, while Telxius operations, networks and systems director Jesús María Rubio highlighted the importance of agile communications and the ability to respond quickly.

Cirion representative Carlos Oviedo also described cable security as a shared responsibility and offered the company's regional experience to the collaboration. The immediate milestone is the signed memorandum and its proposed coordination arrangements. The next work identified in the official account is the progressive development of protocols and maintenance of contact points, rather than a dated operational rollout. For the cable owners and maritime authorities, implementation therefore centers on turning the cooperation framework into agreed procedures for the infrastructure already serving the region.

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