canary islands mobile network resilience 2026

Canaries to Shield Mobile Networks from Blackouts in 2026

Canaries to Fortify Mobile Coverage Against Telecoms Blackouts This Year

The Canary Islands are set to bulletproof their mobile coverage against telecommunications blackouts this year. By the end of 2026, the public company Canalink – owned by the Tenerife Island Council – will launch a data exchange node at the data centre of the Technological and Renewable Energies Institute (ITER) in Granadilla. All telecoms operators, both regional and major national providers, will be able to connect to this hub.

A Lifeline for Essential Services

“From there, we will initially handle data transmission for essential services,” explains Rubén Molowny, CEO of Canalink, who insists this project is crucial for providing the archipelago with a degree of independence – though never total. This will ensure that if another major energy blackout occurs on the Spanish mainland, like the one on 28 April 2024, mobile and telephone networks in the Canaries will keep functioning.

This first phase of deploying this data exchange point is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026. “We have to get this resolved by the end of the year; it’s the target we’ve set ourselves,” states Molowny, who confirms the project is “very advanced.” So far, around 12 collaboration agreements have been signed with regional operators and even approval has been secured from a major national operator.

Strategic Expansion and Submarine Cable Projects

Initially, this service will only be available to guarantee the continuity of essential services, such as the 112 emergency number or the Canary Islands Government. “This way, we ensure we don’t need to go outside the archipelago to establish the final communication link,” Molowny states. He emphasises that despite this quest for independence, “the Canaries can never have total independence” because “the internet is open to the world.”

This is one of several projects Canalink is launching this year as it expands to turn the Canaries into a strategic internet connection hub. One of the most ambitious is ‘Ring’, which aims to connect the eastern Canary Islands by deploying a 553-kilometre ring of submarine fibre optic cables linking Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura.

With a budget of €34 million, €23 million of which is contributed by the European Union, this initiative proposes to duplicate the existing network to prevent all connections from relying on a single, obsolete cable system. “This not only improves the telecoms fibre network in the province of Las Palmas but also creates a link with southern Morocco,” notes Molowny.

Boosting Intercontinental Links and Market Competition

This project is, in fact, a fundamental piece of the company’s expansion strategy, linking with another venture: the submarine connection between the Canaries and Tarfaya in Morocco. For the company, this constitutes a major strategic initiative, as it will strengthen digital connectivity between Europe and Africa. “This branch will allow us to have a connection between continents,” the CEO highlights.

Another aim for Canalink is for all these submarine cables to enable more operator companies to enter the market. “There shouldn’t only be routes owned by the dominant operator,” explains Molowny, who insists that this advancement can provide “open routes” for different operators to use.

Connecting the Western Isles

One of its latest projects to be deployed this year is the submarine cable that will connect Caletillas in Tenerife with Tamaduste in El Hierro. This 225-kilometre fibre optic cable will modernise the island’s telecommunications network and provide it with high-speed internet access.

The project includes the installation of submarine branching units to allow for the potential future deployment of branches to La Palma and La Gomera. This would enable a fast and secure connection for all islands in the archipelago’s western province. The company anticipates that this upgrade will help reduce the digital divide in the most remote areas of the islands, also facilitating access to essential services like telemedicine and e-commerce.

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