Vodafone Ukraine, in collaboration with Vodafone Group, has announced the launch of the Kardesa undersea cable system, which will connect Ukraine, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Georgia. This cable will traverse the Black Sea and serve as a vital part of the digital corridor linking Europe and Asia, circumventing Russian territory. The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine made this announcement.
The main partner in Europe is the global company Vodafone. The funding for the section of the undersea cable along the Black Sea floor will be supported by Ukrainian Vodafone, with the project implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
The agency emphasized that this is crucial for Ukraine for several reasons:
- Digital sovereignty and security. The cable will significantly enhance the reliability and resilience of Ukraine's telecommunications infrastructure.
- New transit potential. Ukraine will become a key transit hub between Europe and Asia.
- Investment and job creation. The project will stimulate infrastructure development, including data centers and traffic exchange points, attract investments, and create new jobs, especially for IT professionals.
"Kardesa will add an additional 500 Tbps of capacity for the Black Sea region. This is critically important for the growing traffic demands from 5G, AI, and streaming services. The project's cost will exceed 100 million euros," the statement noted.
The construction of the first section in Bulgaria is set to begin in 2027. All work in Ukraine will be conducted exclusively in internationally recognized safe zones and under conditions of stability and security in the region.
