Malta is set to benefit from a major upgrade to one of its most critical telecommunications assets, after telecommunications company GO announced the launch of an EU-funded project to modernise the GO-1 submarine cable connecting Malta to Sicily.

The MOGOSC project (MOdernisation of the GO-1 Submarine Cable) will see the replacement of existing submarine line terminal equipment at both ends of the cable with next-generation transmission technology designed to increase capacity, improve cybersecurity, and align the infrastructure with European strategic requirements.

The project carries eligible costs of €1.56 million, with the European Union contributing €778,636.50 through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital Programme, covering 50 per cent of the investment. Completion is expected by September 2027.

The GO-1 cable, commissioned in 2008, stretches approximately 290 kilometres between St Paul’s Bay and Mazara del Vallo in Sicily. It serves as one of Malta’s principal international telecommunications links, carrying a substantial share of the country’s internet and communications traffic.

“Malta’s economic competitiveness depends on reliable international connectivity which is fundamental to the country’s digital transformation and national resilience,” said Kelvin Camenzuli, Chief Digital Officer at GO.

He added that the investment would ensure the cable continues to provide Malta with secure, high-capacity connectivity to European and global networks for years to come, while helping strengthen the country’s position as a digitally connected island nation.

GO has already launched a Request for Proposal process to select a technology partner for the upgrade. In line with EU cybersecurity objectives, participation is restricted to vendors that are not classified as high-risk under relevant European security frameworks.

Deployment is expected to begin during the second half of 2026, with the upgraded system entering service by mid-2027. Upon launch, the modernised platform will provide at least 400 Gbps of aggregated capacity and will be capable of scaling to multiple terabits per second as demand grows.

The enhanced infrastructure is expected to support Malta’s growing demand for cloud services, digital business operations, international communications and emerging technologies, further reinforcing the country’s digital economy ambitions.