El Salvador quotes DAC high-speed cable DML

El Salvador is deploying its first high-capacity submarine cable and integrating DAC high-speed copper cables to enhance digital connectivity and data center interconnections.

Submarine Cable Initiative

El Salvador's telecom regulator, SIGET, has selected Liberty Networks to design, construct, and operate the country's first submarine cable, spanning approximately 1,800 km and connecting El Salvador to major international hubs, including Panama . This project, with an estimated investment of USD 81–145 million, is part of a broader strategy to improve internet capacity, resilience, and global connectivity . The cable is expected to be operational by the second half of 2028, providing direct subsea connectivity and reducing reliance on land-based links to neighboring countries . The project is funded in part by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), which approved loans to strengthen El Salvador's digital infrastructure, enabling faster internet speeds, telemedicine, e-government services, and cloud-based applications . The submarine cable will support economic growth, innovation, and digital inclusion for the country's 6.3 million citizens .

DAC High-Speed Cable and DML Technology

For data center and short-distance interconnections, El Salvador is also leveraging DAC (Direct Attach Copper) high-speed cables and DML (Direct Modulation Laser) optical solutions. The C-FLINK DAC cables provide:

• High-speed data transmission with QSFP28 modules supporting 100 Gbit/s Ethernet (4x25 Gbit/s) and InfiniBand EDR .
• Short-distance interconnection for ten-gigabit switches, supercomputers, cloud computing, and storage networks.
• Cost-efficient, high-density cabling for racks and adjacent data center connections.
• Backward compatibility with existing HDMI and network devices, supporting distances up to 150 meters without signal loss . These DAC and DML solutions complement the submarine cable by enabling high-performance, low-latency interconnections within data centers and between local network nodes, maximizing the benefits of the new international bandwidth.

Strategic Impact

The combination of the submarine cable and high-speed DAC/DML interconnects positions El Salvador to:

• Expand internet bandwidth and reduce latency for businesses and consumers.
• Enhance digital infrastructure resilience and redundancy.
• Support cloud services, online education, telemedicine, and e-government.
• Attract technology-driven investment and strengthen the country's competitiveness in the global digital economy . This integrated approach ensures that El Salvador not only gains international connectivity but also optimizes internal data flow and high-speed interconnections for emerging data centers and enterprise networks.