PISCES Cable System

ongoing

The project addresses the shortfall of telecoms connectivity between Ireland and the rest of the EU with direct, high capacity, open access, scalable dark fibre availability directly to France with allowance for future additional subsea branches to Spain and Portugal. The project includes the procurement and installation of a subsea telecommunications fibre optic cable from a cable landing station (CLS) on the west coast of Ireland to a cable landing station on the west coast of France (approximately 2,100km CLS-CLS). Two branching units will be installed along the cable that will allow for future connections to be made to Spain and Portugal. The system will provide a strategic link which will meet the objectives of the Digital Global Gateway Strategy of the EU, strengthening the connectivity capacity and commercial offers of connectivity between Ireland and the rest of the EU. The system will also link transatlantic and other international cable systems landing in Ireland and France and will allow for capacity interconnection on these systems. The system will ameliorate a lack of diverse terrestrial trunk networks in Europe linking key hubs in Ireland and France and provide a diverse route along the western Atlantic seaboard of the EU. Branching Units for future legs to Spain and Portugal to complete the system will further enhance interconnectivity with other international partners and diversity within the EU.