Internet under the sea: digital corridor with a colossal cable delivers up to 480 Tbps with 24 fiber pairs and creates a super low-latency route between Iceland and Scotland to boost global data.

Written by Alisson Ficher

Published on 26/04/2026 at 16:27

Be the first to react!

Submarine infrastructure advances in the North Atlantic with a very high-capacity project that promises to reduce latency, expand digital routes, and reinforce Iceland’s strategic position in the connection between Europe and North America, keeping pace with the growing global demand for data and cloud services.

By announcing the AUÐUR project, Icelandic operator Farice unveiled a new fiber optic submarine cable that will link southern Iceland to Scotland, expanding international connectivity and strengthening digital integration with the European continent.

Expected to be operational by 2030, the structure is designed to achieve 320 Tbps to 480 Tbps of aggregate capacity, utilizing 16 to 24 fiber pairs, representing a significant leap forward compared to previous generations of submarine cables.

New digital route between Iceland and Scotland

Designed as a strategic replacement for FARICE-1, AUÐUR emerges at a time when the current system, active since 2004, is approaching the end of its useful life within Iceland’s critical telecommunications infrastructure.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

High capacity targets data centers and cloud computing

Amidst accelerated digital traffic growth, AUÐUR’s projected capacity particularly addresses the expansion of cloud services, data center interconnection, and applications requiring reduced latency.

At the same time, the project reinforces Iceland’s position as a strategic point in the North Atlantic, acting as a link between European networks and international markets that depend on reliable infrastructure.

With up to 24 fiber pairs, the cable’s technical design represents a significant change in scale, increasing transmission density and creating conditions to support much larger volumes of data.

In practice, Farice’s proposal is to establish a more resilient route, capable of reducing transit times and increasing efficiency in the flow of information between different European network hubs.

Furthermore, the company indicates that the new infrastructure will contribute to strengthening the so-called Nordic digital bridge, expanding regional integration and the ability to respond to sector demands.

According to Farice CEO Thorvardur Sveinsson, the current moment demands investments in high-capacity cables to sustain the continuous growth of telecommunications in the country.

Cable name revives historical connection between Iceland and Scotland

Inspired by Icelandic sagas, the name AUÐUR refers to Auður the Deep-Minded, a character linked to navigation between Scotland and Iceland, symbolizing a connection that spans centuries.

With this choice, Farice establishes a symbolic bridge between past and future, associating technological advancement with existing historical and cultural ties between the two territories.

From a technical point of view, the connection with Scotland also plays a strategic role by offering access to a diversified network of terrestrial and submarine routes in the United Kingdom.

Cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh would, in this scenario, function as gateways to networks capable of reaching markets in Ireland, the Netherlands, and different regions of Europe.

Farice’s submarine network gains strategic reinforcement

Currently, Farice already operates cables connecting Iceland to the European continent, including FARICE-1, DANICE, and ÍRIS, forming a relevant base for the country’s international connectivity.

With the arrival of AUÐUR, this structure will be expanded, especially in the corridor between Iceland and Scotland, which for over two decades has relied predominantly on the FARICE-1 system.

While DANICE establishes a direct connection with Denmark and ÍRIS connects the country to Ireland, the new cable adds redundancy and new routing possibilities.

Thus, the company seeks to increase operational security, reduce interruption risks, and offer more flexible alternatives for providers and corporate clients.

More than replacing an old system, the initiative aims to prepare the infrastructure to support growing data volumes, keeping pace with the evolution of technologies and global digital demands.

Project to be financed without direct state funds

Following its strategy, Farice announced that AUÐUR will be financed without direct participation from the state treasury, maintaining the model adopted in other infrastructure projects.

This move occurs in a context where the Nordic region gains prominence as a data center hub, driven by factors such as connectivity, energy availability, and strategic geographical location.

For Iceland, expanding its submarine cable network represents not only technological modernization but also greater autonomy and security in international communications.

By creating a new low-latency route, AUÐUR expands the flexibility of Iceland’s digital network and strengthens its ability to serve applications requiring stability and high performance.

Before its entry into operation, scheduled for 2030, the project will still undergo fundamental technical stages, including marine surveys and implementation processes.

When completed, the system is expected to play a central role in renewing the country’s submarine infrastructure, keeping pace with the growing global demand for high-capacity connectivity.

Internet under the sea: digital corridor with a colossal cable delivers up to 480 Tbps with 24 fiber pairs and creates a super low-latency route between Iceland and Scotland to boost global data.

New digital route between Iceland and Scotland

High capacity targets data centers and cloud computing

Cable name revives historical connection between Iceland and Scotland

Farice’s submarine network gains strategic reinforcement

Project to be financed without direct state funds

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Egypt wants to draw 10 million cubic meters of water from the Nile per day into the desert, irrigate a new agricultural frontier, and build a city where there is currently only sand.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

A German architect built a cylindrical house in 1994 that rotates to follow the sun throughout the day, generates 5 times more energy than it consumes, and was the world’s first energy-positive house.

An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

Xiaomi launches new smart stove with titanium sensor and automatic shutdown that detects an open flame without supervision.

Waste is now energy: Warsaw inaugurates a plant that processes 265,000 tons of waste annually, generates over 300,000 MWh of energy and heat, recovers 30,000 recyclable tons, and uses advanced technology for emissions.

Scientists warn of the worst: oceanic eddies up to 10 km are warming the sea surface up to 4 times faster than the global average and intensifying coastal climate extremes, a study points out.

Scientists found a mysterious object inside the chest of an Egyptian child’s mummy and believe it may contain the name of the boy who died thousands of years ago.

Hidden beneath the waters of the North Sea, a lost forest flourished 16,000 years earlier than expected and kept preserved the DNA of a species extinct 400,000 years ago, in a discovery that is rewriting the history of Europe.

The US wants to have nuclear power ready to land on the Moon by 2030 and accelerate a new space race against China and Russia for bases, reactors, and a permanent presence off Earth.

Internet under the sea: digital corridor with a colossal cable delivers up to 480 Tbps with 24 fiber pairs and creates a super low-latency route between Iceland and Scotland to boost global data.

New digital route between Iceland and Scotland

High capacity targets data centers and cloud computing

Cable name revives historical connection between Iceland and Scotland

Farice’s submarine network gains strategic reinforcement

Project to be financed without direct state funds

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Egypt wants to draw 10 million cubic meters of water from the Nile per day into the desert, irrigate a new agricultural frontier, and build a city where there is currently only sand.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

A German architect built a cylindrical house in 1994 that rotates to follow the sun throughout the day, generates 5 times more energy than it consumes, and was the world’s first energy-positive house.

An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

Xiaomi launches new smart stove with titanium sensor and automatic shutdown that detects an open flame without supervision.

Waste is now energy: Warsaw inaugurates a plant that processes 265,000 tons of waste annually, generates over 300,000 MWh of energy and heat, recovers 30,000 recyclable tons, and uses advanced technology for emissions.

Scientists found a mysterious object inside the chest of an Egyptian child’s mummy and believe it may contain the name of the boy who died thousands of years ago.

A Brazilian municipality surprises the world by preserving a language that no longer exists in Europe with mandatory teaching, co-officialization, and daily use in the streets.

He planted 30,000 mangrove seedlings in three years with volunteer students and even used a powered parachute to reach areas impossible on foot, and it all started because surfing saved Tito Varela from drugs in a neighborhood without opportunities in Puerto Rico.

The first winter cold spell is coming with an air mass at 2°C at 850 hPa, gusts of up to 70 km/h, and lows of 0°C to 5°C, with potential for frost for 3 consecutive days in Southern Brazil.

Waste is now energy: Warsaw inaugurates a plant that processes 265,000 tons of waste annually, generates over 300,000 MWh of energy and heat, recovers 30,000 recyclable tons, and uses advanced technology for emissions.

Scientists warn of the worst: oceanic eddies up to 10 km are warming the sea surface up to 4 times faster than the global average and intensifying coastal climate extremes, a study points out.

Scientists found a mysterious object inside the chest of an Egyptian child’s mummy and believe it may contain the name of the boy who died thousands of years ago.

Hidden beneath the waters of the North Sea, a lost forest flourished 16,000 years earlier than expected and kept preserved the DNA of a species extinct 400,000 years ago, in a discovery that is rewriting the history of Europe.

The US wants to have nuclear power ready to land on the Moon by 2030 and accelerate a new space race against China and Russia for bases, reactors, and a permanent presence off Earth.