The new cable, which will land in Galway, will provide direct, high-capacity connections to Iceland with a connection to northern Europe via Denmark.
IRIS Cable is owned and operated by Knighta company wholly owned by the Icelandic government, which has contracted a subsidiary to install the cable system.
The IRIS system will be ready for service in the first quarter of 2023 and will be the third underwater fiber optic cable system connecting Iceland to Europe.
The system provides more redundancy in the communications connection between Iceland and Europe, with low latency connections of about 10.5 milliseconds, between Reykjavik and Dublin.
Farice said IRIS is integrated into its network in Iceland and Europe to enhance the network and provide comprehensive, diversified and secure connectivity between the Farice network’s POPs in Iceland and Europe.
Speaking at a cable landing ceremony on Ballylognan Beach in Galway, the Minister of Communications Eamonn Ryan He said the IRIS cable enhances Ireland’s digital connectivity internationally, providing the essential factors businesses need to be globally competitive and attract investment.
“The development of new digital infrastructure is essential to creating new jobs and business opportunities,” the minister added.
“Ireland is at the forefront of this digital development and is pursuing a strategy to be the gateway to Europe for all internet traffic. The IRIS Undersea Cable is a fantastic project that ensures we now have direct links from Ireland to Iceland and further diversifies communication links across Ireland.”
This has broad positive implications for Galway and the West, potentially opening up the entire region to new investment. It highlights the West as a major destination for internet connectivity infrastructure in Europe which is likely to attract future investments.”
Iceland’s Minister of Universities, Industry and Innovation Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir commented: “Together with Iceland’s green and renewable energy sources, this new submarine cable makes Iceland a very competitive choice for data center, cloud and high-performance computing providers.”
The CEO of Farice, Urvaror Svensson said Galway was identified as a landing site for the internet tube due to proper sea floor approaches and the ability to connect a cable in the heart of the city.
“This combined with Galway’s reputation for business, education and hospitality will lead to a profitable position. The enhanced global activity provided by the system will be a catalyst to attract high-tech business to the city and regions,” he added.
Farice is the owner and operator of two offshore fiber systems connecting Iceland to Europe, FARICE-1 and DANICE. Farice provides wholesale international calling services to telecom operators in Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland and data center customers in Iceland. https://chof360.com
