Vodafone Group and Vodafone Ukraine have announced plans to begin construction of a new submarine cable system in the Black Sea, aimed at creating a digital corridor between Europe and Asia.

The Kardsea submarine cable system will feature landing points in Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey and Ukraine. Construction will take place in parts of Ukraine designated as safe zones, as the country continues to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.

Subsea cable specialist Xtera has been selected to design, construct and install the Kardsea system, which is expected to cost around US$100 million.

Once completed, the cable will add more than 500 terabits per second of internet capacity across the Black Sea region, helping to meet surging demand for connectivity. According to the GSMA, the number of mobile users worldwide is projected to grow by 12% by 2030, driven by the expansion of 5G, AI, streaming services and the Internet of Things.

The European Commission estimates that subsea cables carry between 97% and 98% of international internet traffic, underscoring their critical role in global connectivity infrastructure.