Trans Americas Fiber System Deploys Ciena High-Capacity Optical Technology on TAM-1 Submarine Cable
Trans Americas Fiber System is mulling a new subsea cable to connect the Americas in addition to its under-development TAM-1 system, CEO Julio Bran told BNamericas.
Trans Americas, which is backed by Global Telecommunications Investment and LW Subsea Holdings, launched a desktop study to assess potential routes and landing points for the TAM-2 system. The work was commissioned to IT Telecom.
“We are already doing the desktop study to go from Panama [where TAM-1 lands] to Peru. And soon we’ll be doing the marine survey too,” Bran said.
Between Panama and Peru, TAM-2 could have landing points in Colombia and Ecuador, among other countries along the route, according to the CEO.
By getting to Peru and connecting to TAM-1 in Central America, the Caribbean and the US, Trans Americas would potentially have a near Pan-American network.
If all goes through and the feasibility and need for the new system are confirmed, Bran estimates around up to two and a half years for the cable to start operations – which would mean not before late 2026 or early 2027.
TAM-1
TAM-1, which is divided into two stretches, remains on schedule to be activated in 2025.
Overall, TAM-1 will span 7,000km from Florida to several countries in the Americas, including Colombia, the northern Caribbean (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and the British Virgin Islands), Mexic,o and Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama).
Trans Americas is in the process of acquiring equipment for and building cable landing stations in Panama, Hondura,s and Guatemala.
In Cancún in Mexico, the landing station will be from a partner, as well as in Costa Rica and Colombia.
In Colombia, the cable will anchor at V.tal’s landing station and the BDC2 data center, inaugurated in April in Barranquilla. Trans Americas is V.tal’s first main client for the site.
Stations such as those in Guatemala and Honduras, on the other hand, are proprietary, being built by Trans Americas itself.
“When we finish launching the cable, immediately afterwards we will start with other [landing stations],” Bran said about the second stage of TAM-1.
PORTFOLIO, CLIENTS AND NEW BUSINESSES
In parallel to the cable and the station works, Trans Americas is fine-tuning its portfolio of services and products to be offered to companies leasing the cable capacity, said Bran.
Three new anchor clients are due to be announced soon for TAM-1, according to the CEO. They will add to the cable’s main anchor tenant to date, AT&T, from whom Trans Americas is also using a cable landing station in Florida.
In addition to the anchor tenants, Trans Americas is prospecting other clients for the project. For now, all committed customers are telecom operators, said Bran, from big to small carriers.
Looking ahead, the executive sees the possibility of Trans Americas Fiber Systems entering new market segments related to data centers.
“We are definitely looking into data centers, assessing potential co-investors,” he said.
In a March interview with BNamericas, Trans Americas CCO Mario Montero said the TAM-1 system would cost US$300-400mn.
According to Bran, however, the final budget should be “higher than that.”
MIAMI, Fla. and HANOVER, Md. –October 21, 2025 –Trans Americas Fiber System (TAFS) is transforming digital infrastructure across the Americas with its new TAM-1 subsea cable system, a next-generation network designed to deliver unprecedented capacity, scalability, and resiliency to the region. TAM-1 will be the first scalable, neutral fiber system built in decades to connect Central America and the Caribbean directly to the U.S., with landing points in Mexico, Colombia, and key markets across the region.
TAM-1 is designed with a total system capacity of more than 650 Tbps across 24 fiber pairs southbound and 12 northbound. To bring this design to life, TAFS is working with leading technology providers and has selected Ciena’s (NYSE: CIEN), high-capacity optical solutions — including GeoMesh Extreme powered by WaveLogic 6 Extreme and the 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS) — to light portions of its cable system. This open architecture supports spectrum sharing and fluid scalability, allowing operators to expand seamlessly as demand for connectivity accelerates.
“At TAFS, we are leading a new generation of fluid connectivity for the Americas, one that redefines how networks are built, accessed, and scaled,” said Julio Bran, CEO of TAFS. “As we pursue this vision, we are choosing Ciena — not only for their technology, but for their alignment with our mission to deliver flexible, efficient, and future-ready digital infrastructure. TAM-1 is designed to disrupt the status quo, and together we are setting a new standard for connectivity in the region.”
The 7,200 km TAM-1 system features two diverse subsea routes, enhancing resiliency while enabling low-latency connectivity for critical applications. With its programmable and automated design, TAM-1 is purpose-built to support the bandwidth needs of AI, cloud, 5G, edge computing, streaming, and enterprise services — representing a massive leap forward compared to legacy systems currently operating in the region.
“Trans Americas Fiber System’s TAM-1 cable system is designed to provide seamless and reliable connectivity across the trans-Americas region,” said Thomas Soerensen, Vice President of Global Submarine Solutions, Ciena. “Leveraging Ciena’s GeoMesh solution and optical networking expertise, TAM-1 will be poised to power the region’s surging bandwidth demands driven by cloud, video streaming, AI and more.”
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About Trans Americas Fiber System
Trans Americas Fiber System is building the most dynamic, neutral, and future-ready subsea fiber network in the Americas, delivering scalable, open-access connectivity across the U.S., Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and the Caribbean. With TAM-1, TAFS is revolutionizing how operators buy and utilize bandwidth through a fluid and scalable architecture that delivers unparalleled connectivity and low latency solutions.
The northern route of TAM-1 will be Ready for Service (RFS) in Q4 2025, followed by the southern route in Q1 2026. To learn more, visit www.transamericasfiber.com or contact info@transamericasfiber.com for information about capacity solutions and services.
About Ciena
Ciena (NYSE:CIEN) is the global leader in high-speed connectivity. We build the world’s most adaptive networks to support exponential growth in bandwidth demand. By harnessing the power of our networking systems, components, automation software, and services, Ciena revolutionizes data transmission and network management. With unparalleled expertise and innovation, we empower our customers, partners, and communities to thrive in the AI era. For updates on Ciena, follow us on LinkedIn and X, or visit the Ciena Insights webpage and Ciena website.
