Vodafone Group and Vodafone Ukraine will soon begin construction of the new Kardesa high-speed submarine cable system in the Black Sea, which will connect Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey and Ukraine.
Vodafone Group and Vodafone Ukraine will soon begin construction of the new Kardesa high-speed submarine cable system in the Black Sea, which will connect Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey and Ukraine.
The network of underwater fiber-optic communication lines is designed to «increase the variability of digital routes in the region, increase the reliability and speed of the Internet for users» in the countries where the cable will pass.
The first landfall of the cable is planned in Bulgaria in 2027, followed by Turkey, Georgia and Ukraine. Work on the Ukrainian section will take place exclusively in internationally recognized safe zones.
«One of the key points of our Strategy for the Development of the Electronic Communications Sector until 2030 is to build more international Internet highways to create a sustainable Internet in Ukraine. And soon we will help implement one of the projects of a global scale», First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov commented on the news.
The cost of the Kardesa project exceeds 100 million euros. Xtera is the general contractor for the project.
«Kardesa opens a new digital chapter for Ukraine. This project integrates our country into leading global data transmission routes, creating new opportunities for business, investment and the development of digital services. We are proud that our business is part of this strategic partnership,» said Olga Ustinova, CEO of Vodafone Ukraine.
The Kardesa system will provide increased bandwidth in the Black Sea region — more than 500 terabits per second additional. According to estimates by the European Commission, 97-98% of international internet traffic is transmitted via submarine cable systems — and each new route is of strategic importance for the digital economy, Vodafone notes in a press release.
Last November, an undersea communications cable broke between Finland and Germany. Later, it became known that a similar cable broke between Lithuania and Sweden. In early 2025, Taiwan accused China of damaging an undersea cable that runs to the island nation.
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