Transatlantic telephone cable
Encyclopedia
A transatlantic telecommunications cable is a submarine communications cable
running under the Atlantic Ocean
. All modern cables use fibre optic technology.
Most such cables follow the great circle route from London
to New York City
because of the low latency
requirements of arbitrage
(needing under 100ms latency between centres). Financial trading firms spend billions of dollars annually to get an edge on trading http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204524604576610860386189444.html.
This route provides convenient well-supported landings near Halifax (or Moncton), St. John's
, Iceland
(or Belfast
) and Dublin. Many cables are monitored and controlled from such central locations rather than from the endpoints, for quicker response to problems, and because it's cheaper to hire qualified people in these less expensive locations. Iceland, furthermore, has extreme advantages http://immi.is for communications companies as they are effectively immune from defamation lawsuits for disseminating any adverse information about public events or companies or figures, which is a key driver of day trading
and arbitrage
activity. Such intermediary points on the great circle route are expected to play an increasingly prominent role in these activities, if only because trading signals originating there reach both London and New York faster than any signal originating in one centre trying to reach the other.
When the first transatlantic telegraph cable
was laid in 1858 by businessman Cyrus West Field
, it operated for only a month; subsequent attempts in 1865 and 1866 were more successful. Although a telephone cable was discussed starting in the 1920s, to be practical it needed a number of technological advances which did not arrive until the 1940s. Starting in 1927, transatlantic telephone service was radio-based.
TAT-1
(Transatlantic No. 1) was the first transatlantic telephone cable system. It was laid between Gallanach Bay, near Oban
, Scotland and Clarenville
, Newfoundland
between 1955 and 1956. It was inaugurated on September 25, 1956, initially carrying 36 telephone channels. In the first 24 hours of public service there were 588 London–U.S. calls and 119 from London to Canada. The capacity of the cable was soon increased to 48 channels. TAT-1 was finally retired in 1978.
There have been a succession of newer transatlantic cable systems. All recent systems have used fiber optic transmission, and a self-healing ring
topology. Late in the 20th century, communications satellite
s lost most of their North Atlantic telephone traffic to these low cost, high capacity, low latency cables. This advantage only increases over time as tighter cables provide lower latency - the 2012 generation of cables drop the transatlantic latency to under 60ms, according to Hibernia Atlantic
http://www.hiberniaatlantic.com/news.html, deploying such a cable that year. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/8753784/The-300m-cable-that-will-save-traders-milliseconds.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204524604576610860386189444.html
* first fiber optic cable.
The TAT series of cables constitute a large percentage of all North Atlantic cables. All TAT cables are consortia joint ventures between a number of telecommunications companies, e.g. British Telecom. CANTAT are transatlantic telephone cables terminating in Canada rather than the USA. There are a number of private non-TAT cables.
Submarine communications cable
A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean....
running under the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. All modern cables use fibre optic technology.
Most such cables follow the great circle route from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
because of the low latency
Latency
Latency or latent may refer to:*Latency period , the time between exposure to a pathogen, chemical or radiation, and when symptoms first become apparent...
requirements of arbitrage
Arbitrage
In economics and finance, arbitrage is the practice of taking advantage of a price difference between two or more markets: striking a combination of matching deals that capitalize upon the imbalance, the profit being the difference between the market prices...
(needing under 100ms latency between centres). Financial trading firms spend billions of dollars annually to get an edge on trading http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204524604576610860386189444.html.
This route provides convenient well-supported landings near Halifax (or Moncton), St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
(or Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
) and Dublin. Many cables are monitored and controlled from such central locations rather than from the endpoints, for quicker response to problems, and because it's cheaper to hire qualified people in these less expensive locations. Iceland, furthermore, has extreme advantages http://immi.is for communications companies as they are effectively immune from defamation lawsuits for disseminating any adverse information about public events or companies or figures, which is a key driver of day trading
Day trading
Day trading refers to the practice of buying and selling financial instruments within the same trading day such that all positions are usually closed before the market close for the trading day...
and arbitrage
Arbitrage
In economics and finance, arbitrage is the practice of taking advantage of a price difference between two or more markets: striking a combination of matching deals that capitalize upon the imbalance, the profit being the difference between the market prices...
activity. Such intermediary points on the great circle route are expected to play an increasingly prominent role in these activities, if only because trading signals originating there reach both London and New York faster than any signal originating in one centre trying to reach the other.
When the first transatlantic telegraph cable
Transatlantic telegraph cable
The transatlantic telegraph cable was the first cable used for telegraph communications laid across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. It crossed from , Foilhommerum Bay, Valentia Island, in western Ireland to Heart's Content in eastern Newfoundland. The transatlantic cable connected North America...
was laid in 1858 by businessman Cyrus West Field
Cyrus West Field
Cyrus West Field was an American businessman and financier who, along with other entrepreneurs, created the Atlantic Telegraph Company and laid the first telegraph cable across the Atlantic Ocean in 1858.-Life and career:...
, it operated for only a month; subsequent attempts in 1865 and 1866 were more successful. Although a telephone cable was discussed starting in the 1920s, to be practical it needed a number of technological advances which did not arrive until the 1940s. Starting in 1927, transatlantic telephone service was radio-based.
TAT-1
TAT-1
TAT-1 was the first submarine transatlantic telephone cable system. It was laid between Gallanach Bay, near Oban, Scotland and Clarenville, Newfoundland between 1955 and 1956. It was inaugurated on September 25, 1956, initially carrying 36 telephone channels.-History:The first transatlantic...
(Transatlantic No. 1) was the first transatlantic telephone cable system. It was laid between Gallanach Bay, near Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
, Scotland and Clarenville
Clarenville
Clarenville is a Canadian town on the east coast of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Clarenville was incorporated in 1951 and is located in the Shoal Harbour valley fronting an arm of the Atlantic Ocean called Random Sound....
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
between 1955 and 1956. It was inaugurated on September 25, 1956, initially carrying 36 telephone channels. In the first 24 hours of public service there were 588 London–U.S. calls and 119 from London to Canada. The capacity of the cable was soon increased to 48 channels. TAT-1 was finally retired in 1978.
There have been a succession of newer transatlantic cable systems. All recent systems have used fiber optic transmission, and a self-healing ring
Self-healing ring
A self-healing ring, or SHR, is a telecommunications term for loop network topology, a common configuration in telecommunications transmission systems. Like roadway and water distribution systems, a loop or ring is used to provide redundancy...
topology. Late in the 20th century, communications satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
s lost most of their North Atlantic telephone traffic to these low cost, high capacity, low latency cables. This advantage only increases over time as tighter cables provide lower latency - the 2012 generation of cables drop the transatlantic latency to under 60ms, according to Hibernia Atlantic
Hibernia Atlantic
Hibernia Atlantic is a privately held, US-owned, transatlantic submarine communications cable system in the North Atlantic Ocean which connects Canada, the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Europe....
http://www.hiberniaatlantic.com/news.html, deploying such a cable that year. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/8753784/The-300m-cable-that-will-save-traders-milliseconds.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204524604576610860386189444.html
| Cable Name | Date(s) in service | Type | Initial No. of channels | Final No. of channels | Western end | Eastern end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAT-1 TAT-1 TAT-1 was the first submarine transatlantic telephone cable system. It was laid between Gallanach Bay, near Oban, Scotland and Clarenville, Newfoundland between 1955 and 1956. It was inaugurated on September 25, 1956, initially carrying 36 telephone channels.-History:The first transatlantic... |
1956–1978 | Galvanic | 36 | 48 | Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400... |
Scotland |
| TAT-2 TAT-2 TAT-2 was AT&T's second transatlantic telephone cable. It was in operation from 1959 to 1982, initially carrying 48 telephone circuits between France and Newfoundland.... |
1959–1982 | Galvanic | 48 | 72 | Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400... |
France |
| TAT-3 TAT-3 TAT-3 was AT&T's third transatlantic telephone cable. It was in operation from 1963 to 1986, initially carrying 138 telephone circuits between England and New Jersey.... |
1963–1986 | Galvanic | 138 | 276 | New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... |
United Kingdom |
| TAT-4 TAT-4 TAT-4 was AT&T's fourth transatlantic telephone cable. It was in operation from 1965 to 1987, initially carrying 138 telephone circuits between France and New Jersey.... |
1965–1987 | Galvanic | 138 | 345 | New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... |
France |
| TAT-5 TAT-5 TAT-5 was AT&T's 5th transatlantic telephone cable,in operation from 1970 to 1993,initially carrying 845 telephone circuits ,between Rhode Island and Conil de la Frontera, , Spain.... |
1970–1993 | Galvanic | 845 | 2112 | Rhode Island Rhode Island The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area... |
Spain |
| TAT-6 TAT-6 TAT-6 was AT&T's sixth transatlantic telephone cable. It was in operation from 1976 to 1994, initially carrying 4,800 telephone circuits between Rhode Island and France.... |
1976–1994 | Galvanic | 4,000 | 10,000 | Rhode Island Rhode Island The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area... |
France |
| TAT-7 TAT-7 TAT-7 was AT&T's 7th transatlantic telephone cable,in operation from 1978 to 1994, initially carrying 4,000 telephone circuits between New Jersey and England.... |
1978–1994 | Galvanic | 4,000 | 10,500 | New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... |
United Kingdom |
| TAT-8 TAT-8 TAT-8 was the 8th transatlantic telecommunications cable,initially carrying 40,000 telephone circuits between USA, England and France. It was constructed in 1988 by a consortium of companies led by AT&T, France Telecom, and British Telecom... * |
1988–2002 | Fiber-optic | 40,000 | |||
| USA | United Kingdom, France | |||||
| TAT-9 TAT-9 TAT-9 was AT&T's 9th transatlantic telephone cable,in operation from 1992 to 2004,initially carrying 80,000 telephone circuits between USA, Canada and Spain.... |
1992–2004 | Fiber-optic | 80,000 | |||
| USA, Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the... |
Spain, France, United Kingdom | |||||
| TAT-10 TAT-10 TAT-10 was AT&T's 10th transatlantic telephone cable, in operation from 1992 to 2003, initially carrying 2 x 565 Mbit/s between USA and Norden in Germany.... |
1992–2003 | Fiber-optic | 2 × 565 Mbit/s | |||
| USA | Germany | |||||
| TAT-11 TAT-11 TAT-11 was AT&T's 11th transatlantic telephone cable, in operation from 1993, initially carrying 2 x 565 Mbit/s between USA and France.The cable ran between Manahawkin, New Jersey to Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez in France and Oxwich Bay in Wales.... |
1993–2003 | Fiber-optic | 2 × 565 Mbit/s | |||
| USA | France | |||||
| TAT-12/13 TAT-12/13 TAT-12/13 is a ring cable system consisting of the 12th and 13th consortia transatlantic telephone cables, in operation from 1996, initially carrying 2 × 5 Gbit/s.... |
1996–2008 | Fiber-optic | 12 × 2.5 Gbit/s | |||
| USA × 2 | United Kingdom, France | |||||
| TAT-14 TAT-14 TAT-14 is the 14th consortia transatlantic telecommunications cable system. In operation from 2001, it utilises wavelength division multiplexing. The cable system is built from multiple pairs of fibres—one fibre in each pair is used for data carried in one direction and the other in the opposite... |
2000– | Fiber-optic | 3.2 Tbit/s | |||
| USA × 2 | United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark | |||||
| CANTAT-1 CANTAT-1 CANTAT-1 was the first Canadian transatlantic telephone cable. It operated from 1961 to 1986, initially carrying 80 telephone circuits between Newfoundland and Scotland. It was operated by Teleglobe.... |
1961–1986 | Galvanic | 80 | |||
| Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400... |
United Kingdom | |||||
| CANTAT-2 CANTAT-2 CANTAT-2 was the second Canadian transatlantic telephone cable,in operation from 1974 to 1992.It could carry 1,840 simultaneous telephone callsbetween Beaver Harbour, Nova Scotia and England.... |
1974–1992 | Galvanic | 1,840 | |||
| Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the... |
United Kingdom | |||||
| CANTAT-3 CANTAT-3 CANTAT-3 is the third Canadian transatlantic telecommunications cable, in operation from 1994, initially carrying 3 x 2.5 Gbit/s between Canada and Europe... |
1994– | Fiber-optic | 2 × 2.5 Gbit/s | Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the... |
Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... , Faroe Islands Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland... , United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany |
|
| PTAT-1 PTAT-1 PTAT-1 was the first privately financed transatlantic fiber optic cable, which was completed in 1989, at a cost of 400 million US dollars.It was maintained by C&W and Sprint/PSI and connected Manasquan, New Jersey, USA with Devonshire, Bermuda and Ballinspittle, Ireland, terminating at Brean,... |
1989–2004 | Fiber-optic | 3 × 140 Mbit/s? | New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... & Bermuda Bermuda Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida... |
Ireland & United Kingdom |
The TAT series of cables constitute a large percentage of all North Atlantic cables. All TAT cables are consortia joint ventures between a number of telecommunications companies, e.g. British Telecom. CANTAT are transatlantic telephone cables terminating in Canada rather than the USA. There are a number of private non-TAT cables.
| Cable name | Date(s) | Nominal Capacity | Latency (ms) | Landings | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini (decommissioned) | 1998 | under 100ms | Cable & Wireless Cable & Wireless Cable & Wireless Worldwide PLC is a global telecommunications company headquartered in Bracknell, United Kingdom. Cable & Wireless specialises in providing communication networks and services to large corporates, governments, carrier customers and resellers... |
||
| Apollo Apollo (submarine communications cable) Apollo is an optical submarine communications cable system crossing the Atlantic Ocean, owned by Apollo Submarine Cable System Ltd... |
2002 | 3.2 Tbit/s | under 100ms | Cable & Wireless | |
| AC-1 AC-1 (cable system) Atlantic Crossing 1 is an optical submarine telecommunications cable system linking the USA and three European countries. It transports speech and data traffic between the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands and Germany.It has landing points in:... |
1998 | 120 Gbit/s | 65ms http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/8753784/The-300m-cable-that-will-save-traders-milliseconds.html | Global Crossing Global Crossing Global Crossing Limited was a telecommunications company that provides computer networking services worldwide. It maintained a large backbone and offered transit and peering links, VPN, leased lines, audio and video conferencing, long distance telephone, managed services, dialup, colocation and... |
|
| Yellow/AC-2 | 2000 | 640 Gbit/s | under 100ms | Level 3 Communications Level 3 Communications Level 3 Communications is a telecommunications and Internet service provider headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado.It operates a Tier 1 network. The company provides core transport, IP, voice, video and content delivery for most of the medium to large Internet carriers in North America and Europe... |
|
| FLAG Atlantic Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe is a 28,000-kilometer-long submarine communications cable containing optical fiber that connects the United Kingdom, Japan, and many places in between. The cable is operated by India's Flag Telecom, a fully owned subsidiary of Reliance Communications. The system... |
2000 | under 100ms | Reliance Communications Reliance Communications Reliance Communications Ltd. is an Indian broadband and telecommunications company headquartered in Navi Mumbai, India. RCOM is the world's 16th largest mobile phone operator with over 144 million subscribers. Established on 2004, a subsidiary of the Reliance Group... |
||
| VSNL Transatlantic VSNL Transatlantic (cable system) VSNL Transatlantic is a submarine telecommunications cable system transiting the Atlantic ocean. The cable is operated by India's Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited. It was sold to VSNL by the American corporation Tyco International in 2005... |
2001 | 5.1 Tbit/s | under 100ms | sold by Tyco Tyco International Tyco International Ltd. is a highly diversified global manufacturing company incorporated in Switzerland, with United States operational headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey... to VSNL in 2005 |
|
| Hibernia Atlantic Hibernia Atlantic Hibernia Atlantic is a privately held, US-owned, transatlantic submarine communications cable system in the North Atlantic Ocean which connects Canada, the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Europe.... |
2001 | 320 Gbit/s | under 70ms | CVC Acquisition Company | |
| Emerald Express | 2012 (scheduled) | 6 × 10 Tbit/s (six pairs 100x100 Gbit/s) | under 70ms | Moncton, St. John's, Iceland Iceland Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... , Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly... , Dublin |
Emerald Atlantis |
| Hibernia Atlantic Hibernia Atlantic Hibernia Atlantic is a privately held, US-owned, transatlantic submarine communications cable system in the North Atlantic Ocean which connects Canada, the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Europe.... |
2012 (scheduled) | unknown (four strand) | 59ms http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/8753784/The-300m-cable-that-will-save-traders-milliseconds.html | Herring Cove (near Halifax) | CVC Acquisition Company |