Contract awarded for new undersea telecoms cable

A €30m contract has been awarded for the laying of an undersea cable providing a direct telecommunications link between Ireland and North America.

The scheme, a partnership project between the North and the Republic, will provide the first-ever direct link between the two territories.

Hibernia Atlantic has been awarded the contract to lay a 40km submarine cable linking up with the existing Hibernia North Transatlantic cable off the North's coast.

The cable will come ashore in Co Derry before linking up with the telecoms infrastructure on both sides of the border.

The initiative is designed to improve telecommunications links between Ireland and North America, thereby helping to attract foreign investment.