Vodafone Group along with Vodafone Ukraine has announced the commencement of a new undersea cable system named Kardesa. This project will connect Ukraine to Bulgaria, Turkey, and Georgia, traversing the Black Sea and forming part of a digital corridor linking Europe and Asia, circumventing Russia. This information was provided by the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
The main partner in Europe is the global operator Vodafone. The funding for the section of the undersea cable along the Black Sea bed will be supported by Ukrainian Vodafone in collaboration with the Ministry of Digital Transformation.
The ministry emphasized the significance of this project for Ukraine:
- Ensuring digital sovereignty and security. The cable will significantly enhance the reliability of Ukraine's telecommunications infrastructure.
- New transit capabilities. Ukraine will become a crucial transit link between Europe and Asia.
- Investment and job creation. The project will stimulate the development of infrastructure (data centers, traffic exchange points) and support investment attraction, creating new jobs for engineers, project managers, and IT professionals.
"Kardesa will add an additional 500 Tbps of capacity for the Black Sea region, which is critical for the growth of traffic from 5G, AI, and streaming services. The project's cost exceeds 100 million euros," the statement reads.
The construction of the first section in Bulgaria is set to begin in 2027. In Ukraine, all work will be carried out exclusively in internationally recognized safe zones, contingent on stability and security in the region.
