Particle.news
Download on the App Store

AWS Unveils Fastnet, a High-Capacity Transatlantic Cable Linking Ireland and Maryland

The project marks AWS’s first fully owned subsea system to bolster capacity for cloud and AI traffic.

Overview

  • Fastnet will connect County Cork, Ireland, to Maryland’s Eastern Shore with a design capacity exceeding 320 Tbps, which Amazon equates to 12.5 million simultaneous HD streams.
  • The system features two strategically chosen landing points to provide route diversity away from traditional corridors and to enhance resilience if other cables are disrupted.
  • AWS targets service in 2028 and has not disclosed construction costs.
  • The cable represents AWS’s shift from prior consortium investments such as Jako, Bifrost and Havfrue to a wholly owned subsea infrastructure model.
  • Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Maryland Governor Wes Moore welcomed the investment, citing benefits for digital connectivity, economic competitiveness and community development.