B2B digital infrastructure provider Liberty Networks intends to upgrade and double the capacity of MAYA-1, the undersea fiber-optic cable connecting the Caribbean, Central America, and the US.

The upgraded system will have a shorter route, dropping several landing points in central and south America.

The MAYA-1.2 system will span 2,834 km and will have landing ports in Hollywood, Florida; Puerto Cortés, Honduras; and Half Moon Bay in Grand Cayman.

According to the company, the advantages of the upgrade include a doubling of capacity (up to four terabits per second in each direction) and lower latency, which will provide faster and more responsive connections. Latency will be reduced to 19 milliseconds on the short path (from 21.4 ms) and 29 milliseconds on the long path (from 70 ms).

In addition, MAYA-1.2 will feature new technologies such as next-generation submarine line terminal equipment (SLTE), which enables flexible spectrum loading and supports 100G and 400G interfaces, a major advance over the older 10G/40G.

"Submarine networks are, and will continue to be, critical infrastructure for the region," said Ray Collins, senior vice president of infrastructure and corporate strategy for Liberty Latin America. "MAYA-1.2 embodies our commitment to advancing the region's digital ecosystem by creating a more powerful, efficient, and resilient backbone for connectivity.

"We announced a $250 million investment in regional infrastructure and are proud to lead the strategic reconfiguration of MAYA, which complements the existing Cayman-Jamaica Fiber Optic System (CJFS)."

Liberty Networks and its MAYA-1.2 consortium partners plan to decommission, recover, and scrap the southern portion of the MAYA-1 trunk to pave the way for the installation of MANTA, the new pan-regional submarine cable system that will provide additional international routes to the Cayman Islands, both north and south.

Collins added, "For more than 28 years, we have reliably served the connectivity needs of the Cayman Islands and, with this investment, together with MANTA, we are ensuring that those needs will be met for generations."

MAYA-1.2 is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026.

The original Maya-1 was laid back in 2000. It is set to be retired in October 2025. The 4,400 km system runs from Tolu, Colombia, to Florida via Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and the Cayman Islands.

As well as Liberty, consortium members on the original Maya-1 system include AT&T, América Móvil (Claro), Axtel, BICS, Cogent, ETB, Embratel, Hondutel, ICE (Kolbi), Orange, Prepa Networks, RSL Telecom, Sparkle, Telefonica, Tricom, and Verizon.

The upcoming MANTA system, being developed by Liberty, Gold Data, and Sparkle, will connect the US, Mexico, Panama, and Colombia.

This piece was automatically translated from DCD's Spanish site and edited by a member of DCD staff.