This announcement follows a recent request from the Biden administration urging U.S. regulators to reject the application of submarine cable operator ARCOS-1 USA

Cuba has initiated a collaboration with French telecommunications company Orange to construct an underwater cable connecting it to the island of Martinique, aiming to enhance its access to global internet and broadband networks. This announcement follows a recent request from the Biden administration urging U.S. regulators to reject the application of submarine cable operator ARCOS-1 USA, which proposed connecting Cuba to the United States via a new undersea cable landing station. The move drew criticism from Cuban authorities. ETECSA, Cuba's state-owned telecommunications operator, disclosed the alternative undersea cable initiative named ARIMAO, affirming that all necessary permissions are secured for its implementation. However, details regarding the cable's capacity and expenses were not provided in the statement.

Internet access in Cuba was limited until 2013, but the government has since expanded access, facilitated in part by the installation of the ALBA-1 fiber-optic cable connecting to Venezuela, the country's sole existing undersea telecommunications link to the global network. With the growing demand for internet services among Cubans, the country seeks alternative methods to establish connections to global telecommunication networks. Approximately 300 submarine cables constitute the internet's infrastructure, handling 99% of the world's data traffic. Orange, Cuba's partner in the project, previously faced legal repercussions in 2020 when a Paris court ordered the company to compensate local competitor Digicel for engaging in anti-competitive practices in the French Caribbean region, including Martinique.