With global demand for data continuing to accelerate due to AI, Cloud and other
data-intensive digital services, Vodafone continues to expand its terrestrial and global subsea network. Vodafone recognises that future growth will depend on resilient, high-capacity networks that can scale well beyond today’s traffic patterns. Over recent months, the carrier has made multiple announcements as it looks to build two cable systems, Thetis Express and Kardesa. With the AI boom just starting, will Vodafone’s investment in its global network keep pace for future growth?
Vodafone’s new submarine cable systems will further strengthen the carrier’s global undersea network, adding routes designed to boost capacity and improve diversity. In October, Vodafone Group teamed up with Vodafone Ukraine and announced the construction of the Kardesa Submarine cable, which will connect Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey and Ukraine. The high-capacity system in the Black Sea will create a modern digital corridor between Europe and Asia and will add over 500Tbps of internet capacity through the Black Sea region. The construction of the cable will compete with the Caucasus Cable, the only other cable that connects Bulgaria to Georgia in the Black Sea, with a limited network capacity of 12.6Tbps. The Kardesa will also bypass the heavily congested Red Sea, with cables frequently damaged due to shallow, busy shipping lanes, resulting in outages.
Last week, Vodafone announced that it will build Thetis Express, linking Crete to mainland Greece, adding a total capacity of up to 180TBps. The cable will complement its terrestrial wholesale routes, providing its customers with access to a wider range of wholesale interconnectivity services to and from Greece to the rest of Europe, as well as Southeast Asia. Vodafone expects both cable systems to be ready for service in 2027. Vodafone operates one of the most extensive international networks in the industry, with network capacity covering over 70 submarine cable systems worldwide.
Brendan Swan, senior analyst at GlobalData, said: “The addition of Kardesa and Thetis enables the carrier to diversify away from traditional bottlenecks that can constrain performance as traffic volumes rise.
“Vodafone is investing with a long-term horizon. By expanding capacity now, the carrier is positioning itself to support future growth rather than being reactive once constraints emerge.”
Swan concludes: “As global digital transformation continues to accelerate, it’s estimated that in the next two years approximately 66 new subsea cables will come online in supporting the demand for continued data growth. This announcement validates Vodafone’s intention to remain a critical enabler of global connectivity in an AI-driven world.”
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