Amazon Rolls Out Fastnet Subsea Internet Cable To Boost Reliability After Massive AWS Outage

• Amazon stated that the transatlantic subsea fiber optic cable system will connect Maryland, U.S., and County Cork, Ireland.
• Fastnet is expected to be operational in 2028, and Amazon has stated that it will help ensure services continue to run even if other undersea cables encounter issues.
• Fastnet has a capacity of more than 320 terabits per second, enough to let users stream 12.5 million HD films simultaneously.

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) announced on Tuesday that it has rolled out a new subsea internet cable, seeking to build redundancy, following a massive outage at Amazon Web Services (AWS) days earlier.

In its announcement, Amazon stated that the transatlantic subsea fiber optic cable system will connect Maryland, U.S., and County Cork, Ireland. “This new route strengthens network resilience, reducing service disruption risks for AWS customers,” the company said.

New Data Pathway

Amazon stated that Fastnet will be operational in 2028, and when it goes live, it will offer a new data pathway with unique landing points. This will help ensure that services continue to run even if other undersea cables encounter issues.

Amazon shares were up by nearly 0.5% in Tuesday’s opening trade. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around the company trended in the ‘extremely bullish’ territory at the time of writing.

Amazon’s announcement of Fastnet comes after an AWS outage in October disrupted not just the company’s services but also impacted YouTube, Gmail, and Instagram.

Built For Reliability

The company detailed the Fastnet cable’s technology, stating that the system is designed with cable armoring that features additional layers of protective steel wires in nearshore areas to protect against both natural and human activities.

Fastnet has a capacity of more than 320 terabits per second (Tbps), which is sufficient to allow users to stream 12.5 million high-definition (HD) films simultaneously or download the digitized version of the Library of Congress three times per second. 

Amazon also stated that its Fastnet system utilizes advanced optical switching technology, designed with future needs in mind, including use cases such as cloud services and AI.

AMZN stock is up 16% year-to-date and 28% in the past 12 months.

Also See: Scott Bessent Praises Elon Musk For 'Fantastic Job' In Helping Downsize US Government Spending: Report

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

Share

·

Add us on