Americas: Panama to Boost Connectivity with Two New Submarine Cables and Digital Gateway Project

Panama, the most connected nation in Central America with six submarine cables, is set to become even more connected. Two new systems, the Carnival Submarine-Network (CSN-1) and Caribbean Expresses, are being constructed and scheduled to be operational by 2025 and 2026, respectively. These new cables will join the existing South American Crossing (SAC), the Pan-American Crossing (PAC), Maya 1, Arcos, Pacific Caribbean Cable System (PCCS), and Google's Curie, which is yet to activate its Panama branch. Most of these submarine systems cross Panama through terrestrial backbones and "leave" on the other side. The future CSN-1 will run 4,500km from Ecuador to Florida's west coast, with landing points in Panama and Colombia, and is being driven by Ecuadoran telco Telconet. In addition, the Panama Digital Gateway and Copernicus initiatives are expected to boost connectivity in the country.

Panama Digital Gateway is a project that comprises both a data center and a submarine integration system. Telecom Italia's infrastructure unit Sparkle and Panamanian telco Trans Ocean Network are responsible for its construction. The data center, located in Panama City, will offer 3,200m2 of colocation space with over 600 racks and 5MW of power, while the estimated power usage effectiveness (PUE) is projected at 1.4. The project is expected to connect to Sparkle's own submarine networks and become the landing station and data processing structures for future submarine systems looking to enter Central America. The project is in the final stages, according to the companies involved. Joaquín Victoria Díaz, general manager of Trans Ocean Network, said the project "consolidates and positions Panama as the digital hub of the region, strengthening the connectivity of our country and becoming a strategic interconnection offer for OTTs, carriers, and enterprises."