Trans Americas Fiber Systems is pushing forward at full speed with the development of its groundbreaking TAM-1 submarine cable, which will connect Central America and the Caribbean to the United States. Since the beginning of the year, the company has made significant strides in construction, signaling strong momentum.
Key milestones have already been achieved, including the completion of proprietary landing stations and connections to third-party landing points. In addition, the contractor Xtera has successfully deployed the first branching unit, with testing of the equipment also underway.
"The IT Intrepid vessel is currently engaged in the first of four primary laying operations, covering the areas between the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and St. Croix, along with the installation of branching units," said Julio Bran, CEO of Trans Americas, in an interview with BNamericas. "Meanwhile, the construction of our own landing stations in Panama, Honduras, and Guatemala is progressing smoothly, in line with our scheduled plans. Marine operations continue as dive teams carry out critical shore-end work."
Starting in July, the company will begin the equipment testing and commissioning phase at 10 locations across the United States, the Caribbean, and Central America. This marks a crucial step in the project’s progress.
The TAM-1 submarine cable will stretch across an impressive 7,000 kilometers, linking Florida to a variety of countries in the Americas. Its landing points will span Colombia, the northern Caribbean (including Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and the British Virgin Islands), Mexico, and Central America, covering Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama.
The branching units incorporated into the cable design allow for both switchable fiber routing and reconfigurable OADM (Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer), which, according to Trans Americas, will enable more intelligent and scalable connectivity solutions.
The cable itself was manufactured by the renowned US company Nexans, with Xtera serving as the provider for cable repeaters and the overall contractor overseeing the project’s construction.
Bran confirmed that the northern and southern routes of the system are on track to be operational by the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2026, respectively.
As previously reported by BNamericas, Trans Americas is already gearing up for its second major project, the TAM-2 cable, set to further expand its reach across Latin America.