DE-CIX, an Internet Exchange (IX) operator, and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom), a telecom provider, are exploring the establishment of a new South Atlantic interconnection corridor linking Lisbon, Portugal, with São Paulo, Brazil.
This follows the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the planned project. The LOI sets out a preliminary framework for the cooperation, is non-binding, and the planned services remain subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement between DE-CIX and CVTelecom.
According to DE-CIX, the initiative is expected to support network operators, internet service providers, content and cloud providers, and enterprises seeking efficient and resilient connectivity between the three regions.
"It also has the potential to strengthen regional access to digital services and help attract further infrastructure and technology investment along the South Atlantic corridor," the IX operator said in a statement.
DE-CIX said the planned corridor is designed to enable networks in Southern Europe, West Africa and Latin America to exchange data more directly and efficiently.
"By creating an additional route across the South Atlantic, the collaboration aims to reduce dependence on traditional traffic hubs in Northern Europe and North America and contribute to greater resilience, diversity and performance in intercontinental connectivity," it said.
Under the planned cooperation, DE-CIX and CVTelecom intend to interconnect their respective infrastructures and establish a reciprocal service arrangement.
CVTelecom plans to provide transport capacity between Lisbon and São Paulo, while DE-CIX intends to provide access to its interconnection ecosystems and services in key locations across Europe and the Americas.
According to the IX, the cooperation would give CVTelecom access to DE-CIX services in Frankfurt, Madrid, Marseille, New York and São Paulo. In return, DE-CIX would gain access to dedicated transatlantic transport capacity between Lisbon and São Paulo.
"Digital growth increasingly depends on resilient, diverse and geographically distributed connectivity," said Theresa Bobis, head of emerging wholesale markets at DE-CIX.
Bobis added: "Together with Cabo Verde Telecom, we want to create a new interconnection corridor across the South Atlantic that brings digital ecosystems in Europe, Africa and Latin America closer together. More direct data routes can improve performance, strengthen infrastructure resilience, and open up new opportunities for businesses and network operators across all three regions."
Isa Neves, CMO of CVTelecom, said: "Partnering with DE-CIX represents an important step in strengthening Cape Verde's position as a strategic digital gateway between Africa, Europe and the Americas.
"By combining CVTelecom's international connectivity capabilities with DE-CIX's global interconnection ecosystem, we aim to enhance connectivity, resilience and access to digital services, creating new value for our customers while contributing to the continued digital development of Cape Verde and the wider West African region."
Situated between Europe, West Africa and the Americas, Cape Verde occupies a strategic geographic position along major international connectivity routes.
The planned cooperation seeks to build on this location and CVTelecom's infrastructure to support the development of a more interconnected South Atlantic digital ecosystem.
CVTelecom already plays a similar bridging role for another operator.
ITWeb Africa reported that under its partnership with transatlantic cable operator EllaLink, CVTelecom distributes international connectivity locally once it lands in Cape Verde, turning it into a functioning interconnection hub rather than a simple cable landing point.
Writing for ITWeb Africa, DE-CIX's own Viviane Barbosa, business development lead for Europe and Africa, has separately argued that Southern Europe, and Portugal in particular, is emerging as an underappreciated bridge for African connectivity, since the real constraint on the continent's digital growth is no longer whether it is connected, but how that connectivity is designed, routed and optimised.
Share
