The CeltixConnect fibre gateway landed today at Porth Darfarch in Wales, connecting the financial centres of Ireland with those of London, Manchester and beyond.

The new fibre network rolled out by Sea Fibre Networks will more than double the existing data capacity between Ireland and the UK, supporting the explosion of online media.

Just fewer than 3m photos can be uploaded per second on each fibre pair and the network can carry the equivalent of 173 days worth of uploading pictures online in one second.

The ability to transport data from Ireland across Europe on a high fibre count network will further support the massive digital services industry in Ireland.

Laying of the cable began in December.

The CEO of Sea Fibre Networks Diane Hodnett said this marks an historic milestone for telecommunications will meet the burgeoning demand for capacity driven by the ever-increasing digital services industry in Ireland.

Some 28 days’ worth of watching online high-definition TV can pass through each fibre pair of the cable per second. At seventy-twofibre pairs in total that’s the equivalent to five and a half years of watching high-definition TV or video passing through the cable at any given second.

“CeltixConnect landing heralds a new era for communications between Ireland and the rest of the world, opening up new opportunities for government and business across the country.

“Our efforts over the past three years have come to fruition, and we are proud to be the first company in over a decade to provide this modern telecommunications system.

“Ultimately, Sea Fibre Networks success will be linked to the changes that take place in the digital services industry in Ireland over the coming years,” Hodnett said.