According to General Directorate of Natural Resources, Security and Maritime Services (DGRM), the Submarino Equiano Cable, an investment by the multinational Google Corporation, “should start operating in 2022” and will have “a length of 15,000 kilometres”.

The fiber optic cable will connect Portugal to South Africa, with intermediate connections to Accra (Ghana), Lagos (Nigeria), Swakopmund (Namibia) and Santa Helena (Rupert’s bay).

The mooring of Cape Equiano, name given in reference to Olaudah Equiano will be made on the Califórnia beach, in Sesimbra (Setúbal), then connecting to the Submarine Cable Station already existing in the county.

“The Equiano cable authorisation process follows a similar process to the EllaLink cable, which already links Portugal to Brazil, increasingly positioning the national territory” as Europe's 'gateway' for “state-of-the-art digital connections”.

The aim of the new cable is to create “unique opportunities for Portugal and faster access for European companies to the American and African markets”.