6,300-kilometer subsea fiber project clears key planning steps as demand for faster and more resilient digital connections grows
Cork, Ireland, 28 August 2026 – A major transatlantic fiber optic project planned by Amazon has moved closer to construction after receiving key approvals for a cable landing station in West Cork. The Fastnet project will connect Maryland on the U.S. East Coast with Owenahincha in County Cork through a 6,300-kilometer subsea fiber optic cable.
The latest approval allows Amazon to move forward with a cable landing station at Tullyneasky West, near Lisavaird. The landing station will connect the undersea cable to infrastructure on land before the connection continues toward wider telecommunications networks.
The project is designed to strengthen digital connectivity between Ireland and the United States. As demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence, streaming, and other data-intensive services continues to grow, subsea cables have become an important part of global digital infrastructure.
Unlike satellites or wireless networks, submarine fiber optic cables can carry huge volumes of information directly between countries and continents. They form the backbone of much of the world’s international internet traffic, helping businesses, cloud platforms, data centers, and consumers exchange information quickly.
Amazon’s Fastnet system is expected to provide more than 320 terabits per second of capacity when operational. The company has said the system is being developed to support growing data and AI traffic requirements. The project is currently expected to become operational in 2028, subject to remaining approvals and the construction schedule.
The Irish landing station is an important part of the project. From the planned landing point at Owenahincha beach, the cable will travel approximately five kilometers inland to the station. The approved development includes the cable landing facility, an electrical substation, a switch room, generators, fuel storage, and related infrastructure.
The planning approval includes conditions covering environmental management, lighting, waste management, underground cable installation, and other aspects of construction and operation. The planning authority also found that the facility would have limited day-to-day activity, with no permanent staff expected at the site and only periodic maintenance visits.
A separate Maritime Area Consent has also been granted for the subsea portion of the project. The consent covers installation, operation, maintenance, decommissioning, and rehabilitation of the maritime area. The cable has a planned design life of 25 years, while the consent extends for 30 years to allow time for construction and eventual decommissioning.
The project has faced local concerns during the planning process, including questions about environmental effects, lighting, safety, noise, and the impact of the proposed infrastructure on nearby properties. The planning appeal was ultimately rejected, allowing the development to progress.
For Ireland, the Fastnet project represents another investment in international digital infrastructure. The country already serves as an important European location for cloud computing and technology services, making reliable international connectivity increasingly valuable.
For the wider technology industry, the project also highlights the growing importance of subsea cable networks. As artificial intelligence and cloud-based applications require increasing amounts of data to move between regions, high-capacity fiber infrastructure will remain essential to the global digital economy.
The next major step for Fastnet is an application covering installation of the subsea cable itself. If the remaining stages proceed as planned, the new connection could become an important addition to the growing network of transatlantic fiber optic routes linking North America and Europe.
