Press release · Guayaquil, Ecuador and Calais, France – June 30, 2025
Ecuador's Grupo Telconet Latam reports that, two weeks ago, loading of the CSN-1 submarine cable began in the holds of the vessel Ile de Sein, owned by the French company Alcatel Submarine Networks S.A. (ASN), the system supplier. The operation is taking place at ASN's facilities in Calais, France, where the ship is currently docked.
CSN-1 (Carnival Submarine Network-1) is a state-of-the-art submarine cable based on ASN's “Open Cable” technology. In its first stage it will connect the west coast of Florida (United States) with Colombia, Panama and Ecuador through more than 4,600 kilometers of submarine fiber optic cable.
Once the full cable load is completed on the Ile de Sein, the vessel will sail to the Caribbean, where deployment of the system will begin. Laying is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026.
CSN-1 will land at new landing stations in these countries, designed to operate as Edge Data Centers. The route design and landing at these new stations will meet the growing demand for low latency and route diversity required by next-generation applications, especially those based on artificial intelligence.
The stations are expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2026, when the CSN-1 system will enter into operation (RFS, Ready for Service).
In later stages, the CSN-1 system will be extended to Cancún (Mexico), as well as to Peru and Chile, consolidating a strategic digital corridor between North, Central and South America.
CSN-1 stands out as the only submarine cable system currently under construction in the Americas by a Latin American operator.
With this milestone, Telconet Latam reaffirms its commitment to developing critical infrastructure for a more interconnected, resilient region prepared for the digital economy of the future.
About the Ile de Sein
The Ile de Sein is a vessel specialized in laying submarine cables, part of Alcatel Submarine Networks' fleet. With a length of 140 meters, a beam of 23 meters and a load capacity of more than 5,000 tons of cable, the ship features state-of-the-art dynamic positioning systems, specialized cranes, automated loading and laying equipment, and a highly qualified crew. Since joining the fleet, the Ile de Sein has taken part in some of the most important submarine telecommunications projects worldwide.