Geo Networks and EirGrid Sign Agreement to Provide Second Subsea Cable Between UK and Ireland

Geo Networks (Geo), a provider of high-performance fibre networks, has signed a commercial agreement with EirGrid, Ireland’s prominent electricity system operator and developer, to provide a second fibre optic subsea cable between the UK and Ireland. This route forms the second half of the diverse fibre connectivity ring between North Wales and Dublin, providing Anglo-Irish businesses with the most secure, reliable and advanced network availability.

The new deal will see Geo as the exclusive provider of fibre connectivity, commercialising part of EirGrid’s East-West Interconnector, an electricity link between Rush, Dublin and Prestatyn, Wales. The route will provide up to 7 Terabits (7000 Gigabits) of new data transfer capacity between the UK and Ireland, extending Geo’s existing 3,000km UK national network into national facilities across Ireland, including the Dublin T50 fibre ring.

Chris Smedley, Chief Executive of Geo said: “As businesses start to build their way out of the economic downturn, it is vital that their infrastructure supports their needs. By working with EirGrid to establish a dual route, the delivery of critical data-intensive traffic is guaranteed, providing the solid foundation that enables business expansion. Customers on both sides of the Irish Sea will benefit from a single service provider offering a combination of two routes between the UK and Ireland, and the diversity will provide unequalled resilience, unmatched in service availability.”

The cable offers an alternative, diverse route to Geo’s recently announced joint venture to build its first subsea route, which has already secured Cogent Communications as its anchor customer. The combination of both cables in one offering will guarantee Geo’s customers the highest levels of service availability on the market.

Speaking about the commercial arrangement, EirGrid Chief Executive, Dermot Byrne, said: “Fast broadband has huge potential to strengthen economic activity in Ireland and increase job opportunities in Ireland’s growing high tech and online sectors. The commercialisation of a portion of the Interconnector communications system will greatly enhance existing telecommunications offerings in Ireland, as well as increasing market competition.”

With critical planning elements such as the marine surveys and route selection already complete, the construction of the Interconnector is now fully underway, and connectivity on the fibre optic cable is due to go live September 2012.

[mappress]
Source: geo,May 13, 2011; Image: nexans