Vodafone to lay underwater internet cable under the Black Sea

Vodafone Group, together with Vodafone Ukraine, announced the launch of the large-scale telecommunications project Kardesa – a modern submarine cable system that will create a high-speed digital corridor between Europe and Asia, completely bypassing the territory of Russia.

The network of submarine fiber-optic communication lines will have four points of access to the coast – in Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia and Ukraine. The new route will provide greater flexibility in data transmission, increase the reliability, speed and security of Internet connections, and will also become an incentive for investment in the digital economy of the participating countries.

The first section of the cable is to go ashore in Bulgaria in 2027, then in Turkey, Georgia and Ukraine. On the Ukrainian section, work will be carried out exclusively in internationally recognized safe zones.

The total cost of the project exceeds €100 million, and Xtera has been appointed as the general contractor.

The Kardesa system will provide additional bandwidth of over 500 Tbps for the Black Sea region. This is especially relevant against the backdrop of the rapidly growing demand for data transmission: there are already over 5.8 billion mobile phone users in the world, 80% of whom use smartphones, and by 2030 their number will increase by another 12%.

In addition, the development of artificial intelligence technologies and cloud services is increasing the demand for new, faster and more sustainable internet routes. According to the European Commission, 97-98% of international internet traffic passes through submarine cables, so each new route is of strategic importance.

For Ukraine, the Kardesa project will be a step towards digital sovereignty and strengthening national security, increase the reliability of telecommunications infrastructure and turn the country into a key transit link between Europe and Asia, while creating new jobs and stimulating the development of digital services.