IN 1870 THE Falmouth Gibraltar and Malta Telegraph Company, formed by John Pender in 1869, won a concession from the Portuguese government to establish and work a telegraph between Portugal, England and Gibraltar. The Portuguese landing point was at Carcavellos. On June 23 1874 a cable linking Portugal to Brazil, via Madeira and St Vincent was opened by the Brazilian Submarine Telegraph Company and linked to the Eastern Telegraph Company’s Carcavellos to Porthcurno cable.
The Company remained in Portugal as shareholders in Companhia Portugesa Radio Marconi until 1971 when Cable & Wireless’ concession was not renewed. However, in 1987 Mercury, France Telecom International and Companhia Portugesa Radio Marconi reached an agreement to provide fibre optic cables linking the UK with France and Portugal.
