Connecting Latin America to the World: Why the Iberian Peninsula is the Superior Choice

Southern Corridor: Low-Latency, High-Capacity Network Solutions by BSO & EllaLink

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In this article

• TLDR

• Why the Iberian Peninsula is the Future of Global Connectivity

• The Iberian Advantage - Strategic Location and Reduced Latency

• Cutting-Edge Infrastructure - EllaLink Cable and Portugal’s Digital Ecosystem

• Sustainability and Growth - Renewable Energy and Investment Opportunities

• Unlocking Latin America’s Potential with Iberia

TLDR:

The Iberian Peninsula has become the key gateway connecting Latin America to Europe, offering unmatched global connectivity. It outpaces traditional routes with cutting-edge infrastructure, strategic partnerships, and sustainable growth. Discover how BSO is leading this transformation:

Unlocking Unparalleled Connectivity with BSO  

The Iberian Peninsula has become the key gateway connecting Latin America to Europe, offering unmatched global connectivity. With cutting-edge infrastructure, strategic partnerships, and sustainable growth, it outpaces traditional routes. Discover how BSO is leading this transformation:

• Reduced Latency:

The EllaLink submarine cable provides a direct Brazil-to-Portugal route, cutting latency by up to 50% compared to North American pathways—vital for industries like finance and gaming.

• Strategic Location:

Iberia’s position avoids congested North American networks and politically sensitive regions, delivering reliable and diverse routes for data traffic.

• World-Class Infrastructure:

Portugal’s Sines cable landing station, supported by renewable energy and interconnected data centres, strengthens Iberia as a digital hub. Learn more about BSO’s network solutions.

• Cultural and Linguistic Ties:

Strong historical and linguistic connections between Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula, especially for Portuguese-speaking Brazil, make Iberia the perfect bridge to Europe.

• Future-Proof Connectivity:

Through its partnership with EllaLink, BSO delivers low-latency, resilient solutions that meet the growing needs of global businesses.

Find out how BSO can transform your connectivity strategy at bso.co.

The Demand for Enhanced Connectivity  

In an impeccably fast and digitally driven world, the demand for reliable and resilient global data connectivity has become of the utmost importance to all businesses around the globe. Industries like finance, gaming, and telecommunications rely on uninterrupted, high-speed connections to fuel growth and innovation. 

Amid this demand, the Iberian Peninsula has emerged as a key player in connecting Latin America to Europe, redefining transatlantic connectivity through reduced latency, robust infrastructure, and strategic positioning. At the forefront of this transformation are BSO and EllaLink, leveraging advanced technology to build a superior digital bridge between the two continents. BSO and EllaLink are using Portugal as a bridge between the two continents to make all of this possible.

Latin America’s rapid digital transformation has amplified the need for efficient connections to Europe, the world’s second-largest economic hub. The Iberian Peninsula serves as a crucial converging point for global data traffic, with its location offering the ability for private and enterprise users to grow exponentially. Traditional routes via North America and Africa are increasingly congested and less efficient. This makes the Iberian Peninsula a key player in global connectivity, driven by the EllaLink cable and BSO’s innovative network solutions.  

The Iberian Advantage: Reduced Latency and Enhanced Performance  

Why Latency Matters  

Latency - measured as the delay in data transmission—can significantly impact industries where milliseconds matter. In financial trading, lower latency translates to faster transactions and competitive advantages for traders and other financial transactions that need to take place. In gaming, it ensures seamless experiences, free from lag, ensuring that gamers can enjoy without the worry of possibly being disconnected or losing progress. The Iberian Peninsula, connected to Brazil via the EllaLink submarine cable, offers unparalleled latency advantages over traditional North American routes.  

The EllaLink Advantage  

The direct Brazil-Portugal route via the EllaLink submarine cable, cuts latency by up to 50%, reducing the journey from 120ms to less than 70ms. EllaLink enriches the global network by providing a new protection path for transatlantic routes, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity even in the face of critical disruptions. This improvement not only enhances performance but also creates opportunities for industries requiring real-time data processing.  

Real-World Impact

With the new route revolution, Ellalink became the first to provide a high-capacity direct fibre line between the major terrestrial and submarine hubs in Latin America and Europe. 

The impact is clear: faster speeds, greater reliability, and better outcomes for industries relying on seamless connectivity by using the EllaLink submarine cable, rather than using routes via North America.

Strategic Positioning and Network Resilience: A Direct and Diverse Route  

The Geographical Strength of the Iberian Peninsula  

The Iberian Peninsula is a natural digital gateway between Latin America and Europe. Its direct, southern position bypasses the congestion of North American routes, creating a faster, more resilient network. 

Tony Jones, the head of low latency networks at BSO says

“The decision to partner with EllaLink at a strategic level to support institutions worldwide to access robust, ultra-low latency connectivity and infrastructure between Europe and Latin America has proved extremely productive.” He also mentions “This direct low latency link spanning Europe & South America also provides diversity options to the legacy sub-sea systems traversing North America, playing a pivotal role in BSO's ability to deliver a market leading solution for mission critical client services.”

The partnership between BSO and EllaLink allows for a fluid approach to serve several industries with reliable global connectivity, reinforcing the geographical strength of the Iberian Peninsula. 

EllaLink’s Strategic Design  

EllaLink’s submarine cable not only offers a direct route between Latin America and Europe, but also enhances network resilience by avoiding geographies prone to outages or political instability. As the Southern Corridor Ecosystem continues to develop, the EllaLink cable stands out as a critical component in bridging the gap between Europe and Latin America. This diversity provides businesses with a reliable alternative, ensuring continuity even during disruptions.  

Network Resilience Benefits  

1. Avoiding Congestion: Direct routes reduce dependency on overburdened North American networks.  

2. Bypassing Risks: Avoidance of politically sensitive areas ensures uninterrupted service.  

3. Strategic Connections: Multiple points of access in Iberia bolster system stability.  

A Thriving Digital Hub: Infrastructure and Growth Potential  

Iberia’s Robust Digital Ecosystem  

The Iberian Peninsula is rapidly evolving into a digital hub, supported by state-of-the-art infrastructure. Portugal’s Sines cable landing station serves as the entry point for the EllaLink cable, while interconnected data centres and internet exchanges enhance its position as a connectivity powerhouse.

The EllaLink submarine cable directly connects Fortaleza in South America, to Sines in Europe. In doing this, the latency between the two continents has been reduced from over 100 milliseconds, via traditional routes through North America, to around 50 milliseconds. This is a significant improvement in latency levels.

EllaLink’s cable network, 2023. The Iberian Peninsula is shown in the centre, connecting Latin America and Europe.

Sustainability and Growth  

Portugal’s commitment to renewable energy further strengthens its appeal. In January 2022, around 63% of electricity was generated from renewable energy sources, these being a combination of wind, hydro, solar and more. Sustainable data centres powered by renewable resources offer an environmentally friendly solution to the growing demands of global data transfer.  

Growth in Investment  

The Iberian Peninsula has become a magnet for tech infrastructure investment. Its strategic location, combined with government incentives and partnerships like BSO and EllaLink, drives its emergence as a digital connectivity leader. Through this partnership, BSO and EllaLink are able to make content available on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, allowing for increased security and low latency. 

Africa’s Emerging Role and Why the Iberian Peninsula Still Holds the Edge for BSO’s Customers

Africa’s Connectivity Developments  

Africa has made significant strides in connectivity, with projects like the 2Africa submarine cable expanding its digital reach. 2Africa is one of the largest subsea projects happening in the world. 2Africa was able to connect 46 cable landing stations in 33 countries in Africa, with a cable length of 45 000km.

However, while these initiatives are promising, they remain less mature compared to the Iberian Peninsula’s established ecosystem.

Why Iberia Remains Superior

1. Mature Infrastructure: Decades of investment in connectivity have positioned Iberia ahead of emerging competitors.  

2. Political Stability: Portugal is renowned for its economic and political stability, making it a secure and reliable hub for global connectivity. As a member of the European Union with a business-friendly environment and consistent investment in infrastructure, Portugal provides a solid foundation for long-term technological growth and innovation.

3. Cultural Proximity:  The Iberian Peninsula, particularly Portugal and Spain, shares deep historical and linguistic ties with Latin America, making it an ideal bridge for enterprises looking to expand their reach into Europe. For Portuguese-speaking nations like Brazil, Portugal offers an unmatched advantage in terms of language compatibility, simplifying cross-border collaboration.

Conclusion - Unlocking Brazil’s Potential  

The Iberian Peninsula stands as the premier gateway for Latin America to connect with Europe. Through the EllaLink cable, BSO is driving a revolution in transatlantic connectivity, delivering reduced latency, enhanced network resilience, and a robust digital ecosystem. As businesses seek reliable and efficient global connectivity solutions, the partnership between BSO and EllaLink offers a compelling, future-proof alternative.  

Take the Next Step

Discover how BSO can transform your connectivity strategy. Explore the BSO Network or contact us today for tailored solutions that bridge continents and drive digital innovation.