By Elena Vasquez

A 3,125-kilometre subsea cable will connect Galway directly to mainland Europe, in the most significant new interconnection project announced for Ireland's Atlantic coast in years. Orange has partnered with infrastructure investor Equitix and subsea specialist MDM to build the Pisces cable, which will land at Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez in France, Sopelana in Spain and Carcavelos in Portugal.

The deal, formalised through a joint venture, also includes a new cable landing station at Sopelana on Spain's northern coast. Carine Romanetti, a subsea industry specialist, has been appointed chief executive of Pisces Cable System Limited, the vehicle that will oversee development.

The scale of the system matters. Pisces will carry 16 fibre pairs, a configuration that gives it far more parallel capacity than older transatlantic-era cables serving the region, and its route down the Atlantic seaboard is deliberately distinct from established corridors.

Why does Ireland need another route to Europe?

Ireland currently depends on a small set of existing cable systems to reach continental networks, and much of its traffic historically transits through the United Kingdom. Pisces offers an alternative path for data travelling between Ireland and Europe, reducing reliance on those existing routes.

For a country that hosts major data centre operations from US hyperscalers, route diversity is a resilience question rather than a marketing one. A direct Galway-to-France link means traffic can avoid single points of failure in the event of cable cuts or outages elsewhere on the seabed.

What role does Europe's AI push play?

The companies framing of the project leans heavily on European digital sovereignty. Valérie Cussac, chief executive of Orange Wholesale International, said: "As Europe accelerates its AI ambitions, subsea infrastructure along the Atlantic coast becomes more critical than ever. At Orange, we are convinced that building trusted, high-capacity routes in partnership with like-minded stakeholders is the backbone of Europe's AI-driven future."

She added that "Pisces reflects this commitment, connecting Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal to reinforce trust across the continent while powering the AI highways that will support sustainable, inclusive growth for generations to come."

That language echoes a broader policy shift in Brussels, where officials have increasingly treated subsea cables as critical infrastructure — comparable in strategic weight to energy pipelines — and encouraged capacity built on European soil. MDM Managing Director Tom McMahon noted the project had reached its milestone "with the support of the European Union," suggesting public-sector backing played a part in bringing the venture together.

Who is putting up the money?

The financial structure splits three ways. Orange contributes its wholesale and marine operations expertise, Equitix brings institutional capital, and MDM adds subsea engineering knowledge.

Achal Bhuwania, chief investment officer at Equitix, framed the investment in infrastructure terms: "Delivering the connectivity Europe needs will require sustained investment in critical digital infrastructure. Pisces is a strong example of what can be achieved by working in partnership across Europe to turn that ambition into reality, strengthening resilience and supporting the continent's future growth and success."

McMahon, whose firm spent years developing the project alongside its two partners, said the joint venture rested on "a shared commitment to engineering excellence".

What happens next?

The announcement did not include a ready-for-service date or construction timeline, so attention now shifts to marine surveys, permitting at the four landing points and manufacturing of the cable itself — stages that typically run eighteen months to three years for a system of this length.

When Pisces enters service, it will give Galway its first direct fibre connection to Iberia and western France, and give European planners one more Atlantic route under friendly jurisdiction. McMahon said he looks forward to delivering a system that will "strengthen Ireland's connections with continental Europe for decades to come."