SETAR, Orange, Telxius Unveil CELIA Submarine Cable Across the Caribbean
By Andrea Yukta L., The Fast Mode
December 4, 2024
Members of the CELIA consortium have introduced CELIA, a new high-capacity “express” cable connecting Aruba, Martinique, Antigua, Puerto Rico, and Boca Raton in Florida, U.S. The CELIA cable, Caribbean ELIte Alliance, spans over 3700 km and uses advanced submarine fiber optic technologies. It features a minimum of 8 fiber pairs, offering at least 22 Terabits per second per fiber pair, with an initial estimated capacity exceeding 170 Tbps. CELIA is slated to go live in the third quarter of 2027.
The CELIA consortium members include SETAR, Orange, Telxius, and APUA, each serving as landing partners in Aruba, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Boca Raton, and Antigua, respectively. Telxius will also provide 24/7 monitoring and security through its Network Operations Centers (NOC). Alcatel Submarine Networks has been selected as the end-to-end supplier for the submarine cable infrastructure. The contract includes options to expand capacity and add new landing points.
CELIA aims to enhance connectivity in the Caribbean, delivering high-capacity, secure data transfer with low latency to support increasing digital demands. It will also help connect the islands to global data networks, fostering sustainable economic growth and bridging the digital divide. The CELIA project integrates high standards for environmental protection and biodiversity preservation in terrestrial and marine habitats. The route and infrastructure have been planned to minimize environmental impact, with collaboration from NGOs and local authorities to preserve ecosystems and support local communities.
Roland Croes, CEO, SETAR
For an island like Aruba, it’s crucial to be connected to international data networks to attract private investments, stimulate local businesses, education, essential services, the hospitality sector and for our integration into the global economy.
Samir Benzahra, Director, Orange Antilles Guyane
The CELIA project represents a significant advancement in connectivity and will improve the network resilience for the Caribbean region. By using cutting-edge fiber optic technologies, we are able to provide very high Internet speeds and secure data transfer capabilities while adhering to strict environmental standards. This project will highly contribute to local sustainable economic growth and connections to other territories are being studied. And we are proud that our subsidiary Orange Marine will be in charge of the marine deployment of the cable.
Mario Martin, CEO, Telxius
CELIA is another major step forward in the expansion of Telxius’ global network, increasing capacity and adding to our densely redundant routes across the Americas. We’re committed to delivering the lowest latency and highest connectivity performance for our business customers in the Caribbean and enhancing experiences for end users globally.
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