Rabat - Spain has contracted Vodafone UK to provide communication services for experts studying the proposed Morocco-Spain tunnel under the Gibraltar Strait.
The deal, signed in mid-August, covers voice and data for about 15 specialists working on the decades-old project. Valued at roughly €24,000 annually (€29,000 with taxes), the two-year contract includes a 1-gigabit network, 24-hour monitoring, and devices such as landlines, mobiles, and smart tools.
Spain’s Transport Ministry has also tasked public company EniCo with a €350,000 feasibility study, funded by the EU’s “Next Generation” program. Researchers will assess passenger and freight flows, potential stations in Algeciras or Tarifa, and financing models similar to the Channel Tunnel.
A German tunneling firm will examine geological challenges at the Amp de Camarinal, one of the toughest sections. Results are expected next summer, but construction may not start before 2040.
Spanning about 40 kilometers—28 of them underwater at depths of up to 300 meters—the tunnel could become a strategic corridor linking Africa and Europe in trade, transport, and energy, though no construction deal has been finalized.