Hibernia Networks has announced that it will land a direct connection of its Express cable to Cork, Ireland via a new landing station. Hibernia is the only transatlantic cable provider to own and operate three different cable landing stations in Ireland and the only provider with six diverse routes connecting the island to North America and Europe on its wholly owned and operated infrastructure.
The Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food, the Marine and Defence, Simon Coveney TD, who officially announced the connection, stated: ‘Hibernia Networks has always had a vested interest in expanding the latest network technologies in Ireland. The extension of Express to Cork has significant international business implications and will make Ireland that much more attractive to both established players and tech startups alike.’
It is hoped that the connection of Express to southern Ireland will serve as an economic catalyst for the entire region. The connection to Hibernia Express provides Ireland the strategic connectivity it needs to support its technology community for the next 25 years and further adds to Ireland’s position in the global cloud infrastructure and technology services marketplace.
Conor Healy, CEO, Cork Chamber of Commerce said: ‘Bringing Tier 1 international data connectivity to Cork represents a significant economic opportunity for the Cork region. Having identified the criticality of such an enabling piece of infrastructure for the region, Cork Chamber has lobbied government, state agencies and business interests extensively on the issue over the last number of years and are delighted with today’s announcement which will now see Cork secure this distinct competitive edge.’
‘TE Connectivity SubCom is pleased to continue our support of Hibernia in delivering their network,’ said John Mitchell, president, TE SubCom. ‘The cable route survey has been completed and more than 90 percent of lightweight cable, as well as 65 percent of armoured cable needed for the system has been manufactured, bringing us even closer to the installation phase. We’re confident that the project is on target to be ready for provisional acceptance in summer 2015.’
‘Hibernia Networks is proud to be able to deliver this high capacity direct transatlantic connection to Southern Ireland,’ said Bjarni Thorvardarson, CEO of Hibernia Networks. ‘Our company started its work in Ireland in 2003 and has continued to invest in Ireland. Ireland is a major hub for international business and our investment connecting Express to Ireland is a symbol of our company’s deep commitment to economic progress in Ireland.’
