Amazon Web Services to take capacity on MAREA transatlantic submarine cable system
Telxius, the telecommunication infrastructure company of the Telefónica Group, says that Amazon Web Services (AWS) has signed an indefeasible right of use (IRU) agreement for a fiber pair on the MAREA transatlantic submarine network. Telxius shares ownership of the MAREA submarine cable with Facebook and Microsoft (see “Microsoft, Facebook partner for MAREA undersea cable system”).
MAREA connects Virginia Beach, VA, and Sopelana, Spain and offers onward connectivity to network hubs in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It is the highest capacity submarine network in the world, Telxius asserts. The undersea cable system opened for business in April 2018 with an initial system design capacity of 160 Tbps, but that capacity has been extended to 200 Tbps already, Telxius reveals.
Submarine network connections are essential for international cloud services and internet content providers such as Facebook, Google, and Amazon. The latter is a major customer of the Hawaiki transpacific cable, and now has joined Facebook and Microsoft on MAREA.
Related article: Why the submarine network market is so hot
“We have developed a deep relationship with Amazon Web Services across the geographies we serve and are excited by their long-term commitment with the MAREA submarine system. As the market pioneer and leader in cloud IaaS for over 10 years, it’s encouraging to see AWS active in the subsea cable market. Cloud providers increased activity in the cable business is now a major driver of the submarine telecom industry,” says Rafael Arranz, COO of Telxius, Cable Business.
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher
Stephen Hardy has covered fiber optics for more than 15 years, and communications and technology for more than 30 years. He is responsible for establishing and executing Lightwave's editorial strategy across its digital magazine, website, newsletters, research and other information products. He has won multiple awards for his writing.
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