Chile awards feasibility study for Antarctica submarine cable to two consultancies
Following a competitive bid process, the Chilean Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (Subtel) and the Development Bank for Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) have selected Salience Consulting and Pioneer Consulting as partners for the feasibility study for a submarine fiber-optic cable connecting continental Chile to Antarctica.
The initiative from the Chilean government envisages to build a submarine fibre optic cable of approximately 1,000 km from Puerto Williams on the Beagle Channel to Antarctica’s King George Island, taking advantage of Chile’s existing fiber infrastructure in Puerto Williams.
The plan aims to position Chile as a data traffic gateway to Antarctica, enhance regional connectivity, and strengthen digital infrastructure. One of the main goals of the project is to enhance scientific research on Antarctica, and improve dialogue and cooperation with other countries on the Antarctic continent.
Following an initial exploration phase, the project is now in its feasibility stage. The main question: Is the submarine fiber-optic cable a good idea, from a technical, legal, economic, financial, and even environmental viewpoint?
“Telecommunications and digitalisation are the driving forces of development in our country and in the entire region and in this sense, Chile is building a solid technological platform that will allow, amongst other things, to connect the Antarctic territory with the rest of the world. This study will allow us to know if the conditions exist to carry out this project,” said Claudio Araya, Chile’s Undersecretary of Telecommunications.
In January this year, Subtel put a tender out to find a consulting firm to carry out the feasibility study. Four groups submitted bids: the consortium Raylex-AMBEC, the consortium TMG-WFN, the consortium Salience Consulting and Pioneer Consulting, and Deloitte.
The winners
The two companies that jointly won the bid, Salience Consulting and Pioneer Consulting, are internationally renowned consultancies in the telecom and subsea infrastructure space.
Dubai-headquartered is a consulting firm specialising in digital infrastructure development, with a strong focus on telecom and digital infrastructure. In its 15 years of business, the firm has delivered 100+ projects across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
US-headquartered Pioneer Consulting specialises in projects for submarine fiber optic network development. The firm has since its inception completed 150+ projects in the field, spanning every ocean across six continents.
Alongside the technical and economic feasibility study, the two consultancies will assess the demand from the scientific community, which plays a crucial role in climate change research and other advanced studies in Antarctica.
Commenting on the project, Ivan Skenderoski, Managing Partner of Salience Consulting, said: “This project is a direct reflection of Salience’s mission – to transform countries and communities through digital and ICT advisory. Leveraging our experience across global projects, we aim to provide practical, results-driven recommendations to Subtel, ensuring that this initiative is both financially viable and environmentally sustainable.”
“A true transformational project for the region, connecting the last unconnected continent is a historic milestone and Salience Consulting is proud to contribute to Chile’s vision.”
Howard Kidorf, Managing Partner of Pioneer Consulting, added: “Pioneer Consulting is continuing its mission to provide its team’s global expertise in communications and undersea fiber optic cables, helping CAF and Chile to contribute to the global scientific efforts in understanding the earth’s climate systems, the unique ecosystem of Antarctica, and the dynamics of ice sheets, which include study in geology, life sciences, and physical sciences.”
The future
If the project is realized, the new submarine cable will enable high-speed data transmission, advancing global scientific collaboration in Antarctica. The system will improve communication reliability for Antarctic research stations, facilitating better access to cloud services, videoconferencing, and online platforms.
The feasibility study is expected to conclude by April 2026.
