SEA-SPINE: high-speed submarine connectivity for the Aegean islands

The SEA-SPINE project will deploy seven new submarine links to connect 11 islands across the northern, central and southern Aegean Sea, explains George Pantos, Director for Broadband and Electronic Communications Networks at Greece’s Ministry of Digital Governance, in this video. These islands are currently underserved in terms of network capacity and redundancy, limiting their ability to benefit fully from advanced digital services. The project will deploy an estimated 563 kilometres of submarine cable, together with a further 232 kilometres of terrestrial infrastructure on the islands, connecting them to the main nodes of existing telecommunications networks.

By linking the islands more effectively with mainland Greece, SEA-SPINE aims to bridge persistent connectivity gaps and strengthen network resilience across the region. The new infrastructure will support future network topologies, including standalone 5G and 6G networks, and enable new services such as cloud computing, distance learning and telemedicine. It will also provide alternative routes for existing domestic and international networks, improving overall efficiency and resilience.

As the project is being implemented in areas where, in some cases, no network currently exists, significant investment is required. Co-funding from the Connecting Europe Facility is therefore essential to closing the funding gap and enabling successful implementation.

Find out more about the project on the SEA-SPINE website and the EU Funding and Tenders portal.

This video was developed as part of the European Broadband Competence Offices (BCO) Network’s work to raise awareness of EU support for high-speed broadband deployment and share good practices in broadband and digitally enabled projects. Discover more interviews in the BCO Network YouTube playlist and more broadband good practices, news and resources in the BCO Network Library.