Lisbon, July 21, 2026 (Lusa) - The US Ambassador to Portugal said on Tuesday that every reliable submarine cable on Portuguese soil is one that does not reach a less reliable location, saying that it is essential to ensure that critical infrastructure is treated as such.
John J. Arrigo was speaking at the Oceanário in Lisbon at a ceremony attended by representatives from Google and Meo, the minister for state reform, Gonçalo Matias, and the chair of the National Communications Authority (Anacom) to mark the landing of the Nuvem transatlantic submarine cable, which connects the US, Bermuda, the Azores and mainland Portugal.
«Every new reliable cable laid on Portuguese soil is a cable that is not being laid in a less reliable location; we will ensure that this critical infrastructure is treated as such,» the diplomat stated in his address.
«The policy is in place to avoid unreliable suppliers at any point in the supply chain,» the ambassador continued, emphasising that this «is important to Washington» and believes «it is important to Lisbon».
The «Nuvem» submarine cable is just one example of how American companies have made the United States the third-largest foreign investor in Portugal, with nearly $20 billion [almost €17.5 billion] invested and counting, spanning sectors from AI, energy and agriculture to tourism, the US ambassador noted.
Cables such as Nuvem «are simply the most obvious sign of a partnership that runs much deeper», said John J. Arrigo.
«But this is only the beginning. More than $40 billion [€35 billion, at the current exchange rate] in US technology investment in Portugal is expected by 2031, making it the largest concentration of American investment in AI infrastructure across the whole of Europe,» he said.
Google's investments in submarine cables alone are expected to generate an annual economic impact of over €500 million.
Nuvem and Google's partnership with Portugal forms part of a growing US-Portugal economic and technological agenda for 2026, which will be anchored in the US-Portugal CEO Forum. This forum will promote cooperation and alignment on AI, cloud computing, critical minerals and infrastructure, facilitating investment and strengthening security, according to the embassy.
Gonçalo Matias, who spoke at the start of the ceremony and was not present when the ambassador spoke, said, referring to «our American friends and partners»: O Nuvem «is a thread in a much older friendship and a promise of all that we can still build together».
«Portugal does not want to be merely a transit point for data. A bridge is useful — but a bridge, in itself, does not hold anything back,» the minister continued.
«We want the data to stay. We want it to be stored here. We want it to be processed here. We want it to generate knowledge here — and, from that knowledge, investment and highly skilled jobs for Portuguese men and women,» he emphasised, noting that «this cable does not stand alone; it is the foundation of something much greater — a coherent and deliberate national strategy», he pointed out.
In short, «a National Digital Strategy to define the long-term vision for our transformation», the minister concluded.
Anacom's chair, Sandra Maximiano, emphasised that «if connectivity is essential» for society, then the infrastructure that supports it is a «shared responsibility».
Nuno Cadima, Chief Operations Officer at Meo, thanked Google for its vision, for its confidence in Portugal and for choosing the telecoms operator as its national partner in this flagship project.
The cable is scheduled to come into operation in 2027.
ALU/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
