Installation of the 700-kilometer-long submarine fiber cable started at Green Mountain’s data center today. This new cable route connects the west coast of Norway with Newcastle and will significantly increase data capacity between Norway, the UK, and the rest of the world. The operation is now started and will be completed by the end of summer. The cable will be in operation in Q4 2021.
Just in time for Datacenter Forum Oslo (5th October, register here)
Behind the NO-UK project are the companies Green Mountain, Lyse, Haugaland Kraft, BKK, Hatteland Group and Ryfylke IKS. Together with the county mayor, these companies were present at Rennesøy to mark the event when the vessel Normand Clipper started the installation work. The work will continue throughout the summer and the cable will be operational this year.
NO-UK is part of a wider network of existing submarine and terrestrial (in-land) cables operated by Altibox Carrier.
"It is a great achievement to have reached this key milestone, which is the result of a significant effort by all parties engaged in this critical project. With the rapidly increasing demand for data worldwide, never has it been more pressing to develop our links with other countries. NO-UK will complement Altibox’s existing architecture and strengthen Norway’s connections globally". said Geir Ims, Chairman of NO-UK AS
"This cable project further strengthens Green Mountain’s position as the connectivity hub in the Southwestern part of Norway. We are now able to reach 54% of all businesses in Europe with sub 20 ms latency. Several international connectivity providers have already signed agreements and will be utilizing this new submarine cable as a new connectivity highway between Norway and the UK. With improved resilience and reduced latency, the Stavanger region now offers a realistic alternative to the data center cluster in London", said CEO of Green Mountain, Tor Kristian Gyland.
With the NO-UK cable soon to be realized, Norway’s value proposition of renewable energy, low electricity prices and stable framework conditions is further strengthened on the connectivity side as well.