Havhingsten/CeltixConnect-2 (CC-2)

Overview

Havhingsten/CeltixConnect-2 (CC-2) is a short regional submarine cable system spanning 301 kilometres across the Irish Sea. It connects Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the United Kingdom, serving a corridor that links the British Isles across a relatively compact stretch of open water. The cable carries the alternative designation CC-2, reflecting its lineage alongside earlier CeltixConnect infrastructure in the same region.

Route and Landings

In Ireland, the cable lands at Lough Shinny, on the country's eastern coastline facing the Irish Sea.

On the Isle of Man, the cable reaches two separate landing points: Port Erin, on the island's south-western coast, and Port Grenaugh, on its south-eastern shore. This dual landing arrangement gives the Isle of Man two physically distinct connection points on the same system.

In the United Kingdom, the cable comes ashore at Blackpool, on the north-west coast of England.

Ownership and Operators

CC-2 is jointly owned by Bulk Infrastructure, EXA Infrastructure, and Meta. Bulk Infrastructure is a Norwegian operator focused on data infrastructure across Northern Europe. EXA Infrastructure specialises in long-haul and subsea fibre networks across Europe and the North Atlantic. Meta, the social media and technology company, has invested in several submarine cable systems globally as part of its network infrastructure strategy.

Status and Timeline

The cable entered service in 2022 and is currently operational.

Regional Context

The Irish Sea corridor served by CC-2 also hosts a number of significantly longer international systems that land in the United Kingdom, including 2Africa, the Europe India Gateway, Atlantic Crossing-1, Apollo, EXA North and South, and Glo-1. These cables span thousands of kilometres and connect the UK to distant continents, whereas CC-2 occupies a distinct niche as a short intra-British-Isles link, particularly notable for its two Isle of Man landings.

Based on 125 ping tests over the past 60 days, CC-2 records an average round-trip latency of 56.1 milliseconds, with a best recorded measurement of 20.2 milliseconds.

Strategic Role

At 301 kilometres in length, CC-2 provides direct submarine connectivity between Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the north-west of England. The presence of two landing points on the Isle of Man — at Port Erin and Port Grenaugh — offers the island a degree of physical route diversity on this single cable system. The cable's ownership by a combination of infrastructure operators and a large technology company reflects the mixed commercial model common to shorter regional systems serving dense but geographically separated communities within the British Isles.