In a significant step toward modernizing its digital infrastructure, Curaçao is set to become a landing point for the new CELIA subsea cable system, marking the island’s first new cable deployment in over a decade.
Aquatel, a leading telecom provider on the island, has joined forces with Aruba’s SETAR and the Government of Curaçao to bring the CELIA cable to the Dutch-Caribbean nation. The agreement secures Curaçao’s participation in the international CELIA consortium, which was announced in late 2024.
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Stretching 3,700 kilometers, the high-capacity CELIA system is designed to deliver up to 170 terabits per second (Tbps) across eight fiber pairs, each supporting at least 22 Tbps. The system will connect Boca Raton, Florida, to several key locations throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, including Aruba, Curaçao, Martinique, Antigua, and Puerto Rico.
Curaçao’s leg of the project will receive a USD 27 million investment, bringing next-generation connectivity to the island. The cable is expected to go live in the third quarter of 2027.
The broader CELIA consortium includes SETAR (Aruba), Orange (Martinique), Telxius (Puerto Rico and Florida), and the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) (Antigua). Each partner is responsible for cable landings in their respective territories.
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This development comes at a crucial time for Curaçao. Although the island is already served by several international systems—such as the Pacific Caribbean Cable System (PCCS), Americas-II, and ARCOS—many of these networks are over 20 years old and nearing obsolescence. Curaçao is also connected to neighboring islands via ageing systems like Jerry Newton, ECLink, Amerigo Vespucci, and Alonso de Ojeda.
The arrival of the CELIA cable is expected to bolster the island’s digital resilience, increase bandwidth capacity, and support future economic growth in sectors ranging from fintech to remote work and smart tourism.
Curaçao, located roughly 65 kilometers (40 miles) off the coast of Venezuela, is positioning itself as a strategic digital hub in the southern Caribbean, and CELIA may well be the cable that ties that vision together.
