Rosa Dávila emphasises that a blackout like the one in April on the Peninsula must not affect essential services for hours again.
The Cabildo of Tenerife will enhance the network that ensures the digital connectivity of Tenerife and the entire Archipelago with Europe, especially in emergency situations that may involve a blackout or interruption of the electrical system. To this end, the tender for the preventive and corrective maintenance contract of electric generators and auxiliary systems—such as fuel tanks and switchboards—has been approved through Canalink, the public company of the Cabildo that guarantees the connectivity of the islands. These backup systems provide electrical support to the technical centres from which the undersea broadband cables that connect the Canary Islands to the outside world are managed.
The president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, explains that this action “ensures that these systems activate automatically and safely when the electricity supply is interrupted” and that “we cannot allow an incident outside our borders to leave us disconnected again.” The goal is to protect the continuity of essential services, such as emergency services, healthcare, internet access, telephony, or communications between administrations—even in critical situations. It aims to ensure that the system remains operational in the face of any unforeseen event, as occurred on 28 April with the blackout that affected the Peninsula and impacted key services in the Canary Islands for hours.
The contract has a budget of €133,000 and will have an initial duration of two years, with the possibility of extending it for another three. The action is divided into three lots covering the Canalink technical centres located in Güímar (Tenerife), El Goro, and Nobel (Gran Canaria), as well as three strategic sites in Andalusia, specifically in Rota, Conil, and Santa Justa.
These centres house the essential equipment that keeps the international connectivity network of the Archipelago operational. They are critical facilities from which the undersea cables are managed, through which calls, data, and internet access flow daily, forming part of our personal and professional routines.
The Minister of Innovation, Research, and Development, Juan José Martínez, explains that this initiative strengthens “a silent but essential network that ensures everything continues to function even in the event of an electrical failure. We cannot allow an external incident to leave us without connection or access to basic services again.” Martínez also highlighted that “Canalink is a public, neutral, and independent operator, created at the initiative of the Cabildo of Tenerife within the framework of the ALiXCanarias project. Its mission is to manage and ensure the connectivity of the Canary Islands with the Peninsula through undersea broadband communications, as well as providing services between islands and to the outside world.”
Currently, Canalink manages an infrastructure that links the Canary Islands to Europe, Africa, and America, through a network of undersea and terrestrial cables that provides access to over 35,000 kilometres of fibre optic and more than 20 countries. “Thanks to a privileged geographical location and the various systems it offers access to, Canalink has become a strategic point in the connections between Africa and Europe,” emphasised Minister Juan José Martínez. He added that Canalink has access to several international PoPs—meaning points of network presence—indicating direct connection to key infrastructures in Europe, Africa, and America. This capability allows for the provision of high-speed, secure, and stable connectivity with major global networks, significantly improving the quality and performance of the digital services reaching the Canary Islands.
