Will Manta Spark a New Subsea Race?

SubCom’s Manta deal sets up a fresh US Latin America route with major capacity gains

18 Mar 2025

A new chapter in the digital ties between North and South America is taking shape as SubCom and its partners advance the Manta subsea cable system. The contract, signed in March 2025, has become one of the year’s standout infrastructure moves. The system is still under construction, but the attention it has drawn hints at how much is expected once it goes live.

Manta is planned to connect the United States, Mexico, and several Latin American landing points. Its designers aim to push more capacity through the region while cutting latency on routes that have carried continental traffic for years. Much of today’s infrastructure dates back to an earlier internet era, and operators now want routes that can handle modern cloud loads and offer stronger resilience. SubCom’s Newington facility has become the project’s center of gravity, a reminder of the effort to keep supply chains steady for large undersea builds.

The market around Manta is not bracing for upheaval. Instead, it is moving with the steady rise of cloud adoption, enterprise tools, and international data flows. Demand is uneven across countries, but carriers share a goal of spreading traffic across more pathways. One new system does not solve every bottleneck, yet it can ease the strain on older corridors and give planners more room to map future needs. Operators also note that the project uses a limited share of the region’s total cable count, adding to its appeal as a fresh alternative.

Industry watchers describe Manta as a solid step rather than a seismic shift. A regional consultant put it simply: stronger connectivity between the United States and Latin America has become a constant request from hyperscalers and carriers, and Manta is a tangible answer once it enters service.

Regulators remain part of the story. Evolving US oversight frameworks continue to shape how subsea networks are evaluated, which could lengthen preparation and review cycles. These shifts may influence timing, though they have not curbed optimism about the cable’s long term value.

For now, the outlook stays largely upbeat. Manta is seen as a strategic investment in the hemisphere’s digital backbone, one that expands choice, improves route diversity, and supports cross border flows. When it finally lights up, it is expected to strengthen regional connectivity and help guide the next wave of subsea development.