Typical. Crap weather halts work on subsea fibre-optic cable between UK and France

Strong winds and choppy seas have delayed the deployment of a new subsea fibre cable running under the English Channel connecting data centres in France and the UK. The cable – called CrossChannel Fibre – is due to link Equinix data centres in London and Paris via Brighton on the South Coast of England and Veules-les-Roses …

[Gordon861]

Tunnel

What's the diameter of the cable?

Isn't this the sort of thing that would have made sense to run along one of the existing tunnels rather than the sea bed?

[42656e4d203239]

Re: Tunnel

perhaps one already goes that way? Multiple redundant paths are always a good idea...

[Glen Turner 666]

Re: Tunnel

The rights to place or use fibre in the Channel Tunnel are exclusive.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Tunnel

The natural enemy of fibres is idiots with JCBs

Railways attract idiots with JCBs

Stay away from railways

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Tunnel

Does JCB make a digger that works at the bottom of the English Channel? If they did, I think the damage it could do to the Channel Tunnel would be a much bigger worry than what happens to some fibre.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: Tunnel

"Does JCB make a digger that works at the bottom of the English Channel?

Yes

[hoola]

Re: Tunnel

Undersea it is anchors and bottom trawling, the difference being that you don't necessarily see the results at the point it happens!!!

[vincent himpe]

if only...

they had French submarines. They could lay the cable without having to deal with surface chop...

coat -> exit

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Border Force

There is no truth in the rumour that the Home Secretary has deployed a Border Force vessel, and the Royal Navy put on standby to patrol the coast around Brighton to check on the work permit/visa of an economic migrant reported attempting to cross over from France to England. The suspect is described as being several inches in diameter, and extremely long

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Border Force

Farage and the Daily Heil will be frothing at the mouth about all those zillions of foreign photons poised to come across the channel, swamping the white cliffs of Dover and applying for asylum.

Where is Photonia anyway?

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: Border Force

"Where is Photonia anyway?"

We're at war with Photonia. We've always been at war with Photonia.

[David 132]

Re: Border Force

Send in the Light Infantry!

[chrisw67]

Re: Border Force

Probably just result in a re-enactment of the charge of the Light Brigade!

[old_nic]

Already we have moved that far from Europe?

520 km?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Already we have moved that far from Europe?

London to Paris

[BackToTheFuture]

Re: Already we have moved that far from Europe?

According to Submarine Cable Networks' site, the cable will eventually connect Paris and Slough (home of the Mars Bar - 2.5m bars per day produced apparently).

Wonder if they plan to send Mars Bars down the cable tunnel direct to Paris using a pneumatic tube delivery system?

Could be a game-changer.

[Hubert Cumberdale]

Re: Already we have moved that far from Europe?

"2.5m bars"? That's a whole new kind of king size. I suspect structural integrity could be a problem – or maybe they're sold propped up vertically, like lengths of copper pipe. I reckon they'd still need some supporting cardboard, though (like Bounty bars used to have).

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Already we have moved that far from Europe?

A 2.5m Mars bar might be a bit of a challenge for Glasgow's chip shops.

[Anonymous Coward]

London to Paris

[trueknight]

Thank you one and all

The comments on here are wonderful. I love the humour and it brightens up my day. Long may it last . . . .

[richardvahrman]

Seems to be all systems go today.

Boat (IT Intrepid according to Marine Traffic) is currently off the beach at Brighton. Looking forward to seeing what happens next - imagine, as the boat has come from Southampton, it will drop the start of the cable and then head off to France.

[Hubert Cumberdale]

Re: Seems to be all systems go today.

Ah yes, so it is.

[-v(o.o)v-]

96 fibers, 20 T capacity.. with DWDM that could be 2 Pbps.