Vodafone to lay underwater cable across Black Sea, bypassing Russia
Kyiv • UNN
Vodafone Group and Vodafone Ukraine will begin construction of the Kardesa underwater cable system, which will connect Ukraine, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Georgia. This project, worth over 100 million euros, will enhance Ukraine's digital sovereignty and create new transit potential between Europe and Asia.
Vodafone Group and Vodafone Ukraine will begin construction of the Kardesa underwater cable system, which will connect Ukraine, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Georgia. It will pass through the Black Sea and become part of a digital corridor that will unite Europe and Asia, bypassing Russia. This was reported by the Ministry of Digital Transformation, writes UNN.
Details
It is noted that global Vodafone is the main partner in Europe. And the section of the underwater cable along the bottom of the Black Sea will be financed, including by Ukrainian Vodafone, and implemented together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
The department explained why this is important for Ukraine:
- Digital sovereignty and security. The cable will significantly increase the reliability and resilience of Ukraine's telecommunications infrastructure.
- New transit potential. Ukraine will become a key transit link between Europe and Asia.
- Investments and jobs. The project will stimulate infrastructure development (data centers, traffic exchange points) and the digital economy, attract investments, and create new jobs (especially for engineers, project managers, and IT specialists).
Kardesa will add an additional 500 Tbit/s of bandwidth for the Black Sea region. This is critically important for the growing volume of traffic from 5G, AI, and streaming services. The project cost is over 100 million euros.
It is reported that the construction of the first section – in Bulgaria – will begin in 2027. In Ukraine, all work will be carried out exclusively in internationally recognized safe zones and provided there is stability and security in the region.