Sparkle, the first international service provider in Italy and among the top global operators, celebrates the 30th anniversary of Seabone, its global Tier-1 IP Transit backbone providing high-speed access to the Global Internet for ISPs, hyperscalers and content providers worldwide. Over the past three decades, the network has expanded exponentially, supporting the digital revolution and keeping the world connected.
Seabone (AS 6762) was established in September 1996 - when analogue modems were just starting to bring the Internet into homes – and began operations with its first 45 Mbps links connecting Milan, Palermo, Miami, and Montreal. Since then, the network has expanded its reach, capacity and performance, becoming the world’s 7th Tier 1 Internet network and leading IP backbone in the Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Today, Seabone runs over a 600,000 km fully redundant proprietary fiber-optic network spanning Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia and providing low-latency and resilient connectivity to more than 600 customers through 126 PoPs and Telehouses worldwide, with direct access to the world’s largest OTTs, CDNs and cloud ecosystems. Its operations are managed by a dedicated 24/7 Global Network Operations Center, ensuring continuous performance monitoring, rapid fault management and specialized customer support.
Seabone has continuously anticipated the evolution of Internet traffic and applications, from the early days of dial-up connections to today’s cloud-based services, video streaming, gaming, AI applications and other bandwidth-intensive services. Today Seabone supports port speed up to 400 Gbps across its edge, enabling customers to scale their connectivity in line with the growing requirements of today’s digital economy.
As part of its ongoing evolution, Seabone is also introducing a new Fast Delivery option, available in all major global hubs. The enhanced provisioning model enables service activation in 24 hours, significantly accelerating the traditional delivery process and giving customers the flexibility to respond rapidly to urgent connectivity requirements.
Customers also benefit from a comprehensive portfolio of IP services, including DDoS Protection to safeguard networks against cyberattacks and Virtual NAP, enabling virtual access to major Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) without investing in proprietary infrastructure.
“Thirty years ago, Seabone was born when the Internet was still in its early stages. Since then, it has continuously evolved to accompany and anticipate the transformation of the digital landscape, expanding its reach, enhancing its performance and introducing new capabilities to meet changing customer needs. Today, Seabone is one of the world’s leading Tier-1 Internet networks, connecting businesses and digital ecosystems across the globe. We are proud of the journey we have made together with our customers and partners and look forward to continuing to innovate and shape the connectivity of tomorrow,” said Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle.
To celebrate this milestone, Sparkle has launched a dedicated communication campaign across international press, digital channels and social media, alongside promotional activities for new customers looking to join Seabone and enjoy a new Internet experience. Click here to discover more.
About Sparkle
Sparkle is TIM Group’s global operator, first international service provider in Italy and among the top worldwide, offering a full range of infrastructure and global connectivity services – capacity, IP, SD-WAN, colocation, IoT connectivity, roaming and voice - to national and international Carriers, OTTs, ISPs, Media/Content Providers, and multinational enterprises. As a leading player in the submarine cable industry, Sparkle owns and manages a network of more than 600,000 km of fiber stretching across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia. Sparkle’s sales team has a global presence, with representatives in 32 countries.
Find out more about Sparkle following its X and LinkedIn profiles or visiting the website tisparkle.com
Media Contacts:
sparkle.communication@tisparkle.com
X: @TISparkle
Rome, 15 September 2026
