and the government of Mauritania have announced the successful landing of a new high-capacity subsea cable in Nouadhibou, giving the country a second direct and secure connection to European and international digital hubs. The development marks a significant step toward strengthening Mauritania’s digital sovereignty, improving network resilience and enhancing its long-term economic competitiveness.
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The new branch extends more than 670 kilometers from the main EllaLink trunk to a newly constructed landing station in Nouadhibou. Equipped with two fiber pairs and advanced optical technology, the system delivers multi-gigabit connectivity from the outset and is designed to scale to multi-terabit capacity to meet future demand.
The project is co-funded by the Mauritanian government and the European Union through the Connecting Europe Facility, reflecting Europe’s broader push to strengthen secure, high-capacity digital links with Mauritania and the Atlantic region. In Nouadhibou, EllaLink has built a neutral cable landing station that allows national operators to connect through two independent routes, improving redundancy and reducing the risk of service disruptions.
The new connection provides Mauritanian operators, public institutions and businesses with a direct, low-latency pathway to European cloud, artificial intelligence and data services. Officials say it will support the development of key sectors, including e-government, education, health care, agriculture, transport and energy.
Ahmed Salem Bede, Mauritania’s minister of digital transformation and modernization, said the project represents a turning point in the country’s role in global telecommunications.
“We are moving from the status of a mere recipient to that of a full participant in the global telecommunications architecture,” he said, adding that the new link would diversify international access points and strengthen the stability of digital services.
The landing also positions Nouadhibou as a strategic node along Atlantic digital routes, with potential to expand connectivity toward the Sahel and across the wider Atlantic corridor.
Ricardo Rodrigo Monsonís, a program manager at EllaLink, said the investment sends a strong signal to investors and technology partners. “As demand for bandwidth and low-latency connectivity grows, resilience matters as much as capacity,” he said. “By diversifying its international routes, Mauritania is building a robust and trusted digital foundation.”
Philippe Dumont, the company’s chief executive, said the infrastructure could support broader regional cooperation. “We are ready to develop new services, regional extensions and cross-border projects that will turn this infrastructure into a driver of growth across the Atlantic,” he said.
With global demand for data capacity rising rapidly, the new subsea cable is expected to play a central role in Mauritania’s digital transformation and its integration into the global digital economy.