Amazon Web Services has long been a big player in the fiber infrastructure business, but they have mostly stayed behind the curtain. This week, however they made two major announcements that were anything but quiet as they make investments to meet demand from the rise of AI.
On land, AWS has tapped Verizon Business to connect its data center clusters, of which there are of course not just a few. As part of the deal, Verizon will be building new high-capacity longhaul fiber routes, which is a sentence that may not have been written since the dot com bubble burst 25 years ago. No details of where and when this might happen first, but demand for connectivity from AI data center clusters is clearly shifting things.
But even more interestingly, AWS has unveiled plans for its own transatlantic cable system. The new subsea cable, called Fastnet, will stretch between Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Ireland’s County Cork. If all goes as planned, it will launch in 2028 with a design capacity of 320Tbps. The route will add a diverse path between the US and Europe, complementing existing paths and opening up a new landing station along the US eastern seaboard. No mention of backhaul routes or buildouts, but there will be plenty of time for that later.
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