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2,800km undersea cable to run from Galway to Continent

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From this week's Galway City Tribune

From this week's Galway City Tribune

2,800km undersea cable to run from Galway to Continent 2,800km undersea cable to run from Galway to Continent

A company aims to build a 2,800km undersea telecoms cable connecting Galway to Portugal, Spain and France.

Deep Sea Fibre Networks has applied to the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) to carry out marine environmental surveys on Ballyloughane Beach where they propose to start the cable linking Ireland to mainland Europe in a project codenamed Pisces.

“Specifically, the site investigations will inform the location and design of the cable route and landfall site. It is proposed that the cable will have landfall at Ballyloughane Strand in Galway Bay, prior to traversing Galway Bay in a south westerly direction through the Irish maritime area,” according to a notice published by MARA.

Deep Sea Fibre Networks secured European grants of at least €8m to carry out studies on the cable system and a further €29m to build it.

An article called Shaping Europe’s digital future published by the European Union said the project would address the lack of direct connectivity between Ireland and mainland EU by providing a trunk subsea cable to Portugal, with branching links to France and Spain.

“This project is a study to prepare the ground for a strategic link running from the West Coast of Ireland directly to Portugal, with branch connectivity to France and Spain. The future cable, which would be based on the study, should link the new transatlantic and other international cable systems landing in Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal, and will allow for capacity interconnection on these systems.

“This will directly enhance the quality of connectivity within the European Union as well as with third countries.

“By providing direct, high capacity, open access, scalable dark fibre availability from Ireland directly to Portugal, France and Spain, the Pisces system will enable direct cable connection between Ireland and mainland Europe, strengthen both connectivity capacity and commercial offers of connectivity between Ireland and the rest of the EU.

“It will enhance Portugal’s connectivity to Northern Europe by providing a unique fibre path along the Western Atlantic Seaboard, a pathway to Europe avoiding the transit through Spain, address a lack of diverse terrestrial trunk networks in Europe linking key hubs in Ireland, Portugal, Spain and France by providing a diverse route along the western Atlantic seaboard of the EU.”

The company has submitted a Natura Impact Statement with its licence application to MARA as the area is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the public have until February 24 to make a submission.

After carrying out its own environmental assessment, MARA will either grant, part grant or refuse the licence application.

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