TelCables Europe is accelerating its expansion across Africa, Europe, and South America through new partnerships, submarine cable investments, and data centre development, as demand for south-to-south and transatlantic connectivity surges.

CEO Samuel Carvalho confirmed the company’s strategy to strengthen its position as a neutral, intercontinental connectivity provider linking Portuguese-speaking and emerging digital economies.

“We are opening ourselves in Europe as a neutral operator using submarine cables and our data centre position, building our network-as-a-service solution also in Africa,” Carvalho told Capacity.

TelCables Europe’s recent agreements with European network operators enable seamless interconnection between Angola Cables’ African network and the company’s infrastructure in Brazil. The initiative cements Lisbon as a key gateway for traffic between the three continents, providing operators with diverse and resilient routes for intercontinental data exchange.

The Portuguese capital has rapidly evolved into a transatlantic hub, benefiting from a wave of new submarine cable deployments by hyperscalers and global carriers.

“Our partnership ecosystem allows us to offer truly alternative routes that bypass traditional choke points and deliver network diversity for our partners,” Carvalho said.

TelCables Europe is expanding its data centre footprint in Lisbon, targeting service providers, enterprises, and AI-driven workloads. The company plans to unveil new network-as-a-service (NaaS) and GPU-enabled solutions over the coming months, with an initial focus on Portuguese-speaking markets across Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

TelCables Europe currently operates around 3,000 kilometres of submarine cable across the Atlantic. Through partnerships with other operators, its reach extends to approximately 88,000 kilometres of fibre routes.

Alternative routes enhance resilience

Network resilience remains a central pillar of the company’s strategy. TelCables Europe has developed alternative paths via Africa and the Atlantic, using the South Atlantic Cable System (SACS), SAX cable, and the EllaLink route to Lisbon. These paths provide redundancy for traffic typically routed through the Middle East and Red Sea, regions that have experienced disruptions in recent years.

“It’s a strange route but effective,” Carvalho noted. “We are seeing growing interest from Middle Eastern operators looking for stable, diversified connections that can avoid high-risk zones.”

The ability to offer alternative south-based transit routes provides a critical safeguard for hyperscalers, carriers, and enterprises requiring uninterrupted service continuity.

Bridging Africa’s east-west divide

In Africa, TelCables Europe continues to address one of the continent’s persistent challenges: limited east-to-west connectivity. Carvalho pointed to the lack of direct routes between Tanzania and neighbouring countries as a major bottleneck for regional data flow.

By expanding terrestrial and subsea interconnections, TelCables aims to unlock access for landlocked nations and accelerate regional digital growth. This aligns with wider efforts to boost intra-African traffic exchange and reduce reliance on long, costly international routes.

Collaborating with hyperscalers

TelCables Europe’s long-standing relationships with global hyperscalers form another cornerstone of its strategy. The company operates cable landing stations and delivers custom connectivity solutions tailored for major cloud providers.

Rather than viewing hyperscalers as competitors, Carvalho sees them as vital partners driving infrastructure expansion.

“Hyperscalers are becoming operators because they have the investments to make it happen. For us, it’s an opportunity to cooperate, manage cables efficiently, and expand the market,” he said.

Preparing for the GPU era

As AI workloads surge, TelCables Europe is preparing to introduce GPU infrastructure services in Portuguese-speaking countries, with an ambition to support Europe’s emerging AI ecosystem. Carvalho revealed that the company is exploring the possibility of establishing Portugal’s first GPU factory.

“The challenge will be regulating GPU usage. Today, there are only two major GPU markets – one in the west and one in the east. Europe needs its own capabilities, supported by robust data centres,” Carvalho explained.

Sustainable Growth Across Africa

Sustainability also features prominently in TelCables’ plans. The company is evaluating large-scale data centre projects in Africa, including in Angola, leveraging local access to energy and water resources to support green operations.

“Our goal is to connect the south to the south (Brazil, Africa, and Europe) creating alternative pathways and a more balanced digital ecosystem,” Carvalho concluded.

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