North-West Atlantic Iberian Ring - VENUS

ongoing

The project focuses on deploying a high-capacity terrestrial fibre optic network between Spain and Portugal. This phase of the project reinforces cross-border connectivity, providing resilient and future-proof inland alternatives to complement the region’s submarine cable infrastructure. Vital → Strategic and resilient infrastructure. European → EU cross-border and Digital Gateway alignment. Network → Terrestrial fibre optic backbone. Universal → Neutral open-access, inclusive, non-discriminatory model. Synergy → cross-border cooperation (Spain–Portugal) and global connectivity (Europe–Africa–Americas), reusing segments already built in the ASTEO backbone. The new terrestrial backbone will enhance redundancy, reduce latency, and secure uninterrupted data flow, meeting rising demand from services such as cloud computing, AI, 5G, and streaming. The project has a strong territorial impact, as it traverses rural and underserved municipalities with limited access to high-speed broadband. By integrating these communities into the core digital ecosystem, VENUS contributes to bridging the digital divide, fostering economic opportunities, and supporting social cohesion on both sides of the border. Consistent with the Digital Global Gateways topic of CEF, this deployment adopts an open-access model, ensuring fair and non-discriminatory access for local, national, and international operators, while consolidating the Iberian Peninsula’s role as a key digital hub between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.