Ireland Poised to Receive Fastest Internet Connection Ever with New Fiber-Optic Cable

Irish citizens are rejoicing after news has been confirmed of a 3,335 mile-long fiber-optic cable that will give the country its first direct fiber connection to the U.S.

According to Irish Central, the $300 million investment will allow Ireland to have the same components of data infrastructure and cloud computing investments that most other developed countries have had for years. The cable will run from Shirley, NY to a small country in Ireland called Mayo.

The Connaught Tribune was the first to report the initial talks of the operation in early July after the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment proposed the plan to the government. Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny praised the operation, saying that “this cable has the potential to transform Mayo by enhancing the telecommunications infrastructure in the area and putting our county at the center of a global network.”

The cable is priced at over $300 million, but it is well worth the cost for a country without any current fiber connection to the U.S. High-quality fiber-optic cables are crucial in the both ensuring the speed of data communication as well as the prevention of data loss.

According to Safeware, 29% of data loss occurs because of human error. High-quality cables play an important role in eliminating other potential opportunities to lose data.

The project is expected to be complete by December of this year and could see future additions that lead to expansion into Europe. The Irish government is currently introducing its National Broadband Plan, aiming to bring high-speed internet to all rural areas by 2020.

For the country of Ireland and the small county of Mayo, this fiber-optic cable is a major step in securing future data management endeavors and a giant leap into the 21st century.