NO-UK: A Submarine Cable Connecting Norway and the United Kingdom
The NO-UK submarine cable is a 713-kilometer fiber-optic system linking
Stavanger, Norway, to
Newcastle, United Kingdom. Owned by NO-UK COM AS, the cable was recorded as ready for service (RFS) in 2021 according to GeoCables data, and it is currently listed as in service. While its design capacity, fiber pair count, technology details, and supplier information are not publicly disclosed, the cable plays a role in enhancing connectivity between Norway and the UK, a corridor with growing demand for data traffic.
What sets NO-UK apart is its relatively short length for an international submarine cable, which contributes to low theoretical latency. However, live latency measurements from remote probes show significantly higher round-trip times, reflecting the complexities of real-world internet routing and terrestrial network segments. Additionally, NO-UK complements other cables landing in Newcastle and Stavanger, providing redundancy in this North Sea corridor.
Quick facts
| Cable name | NO-UK |
| Length | 713 km |
| Ready-for-service year | 2021 (GeoCables database) |
| Owner | NO-UK COM AS |
| Status | In service |
| Design capacity | Not disclosed |
| Fiber pairs | Not disclosed |
| Supplier | Not disclosed |
| Technology | Not disclosed |
| Landing points | Newcastle (United Kingdom), Stavanger (Norway) |
Route
The NO-UK cable connects Newcastle, a coastal city in northeastern England, to Stavanger, a key Norwegian city known for its role in the oil and energy industry. This route crosses the North Sea, a relatively shallow body of water, which simplifies cable installation and maintenance compared to deeper oceanic routes. Both landing points are hubs for multiple submarine cables, with Newcastle hosting
Havhingsten/North Sea Connect (NSC) and Stavanger serving as a landing site for
Eviny Digital,
N0r5ke Viking 2, and
Norfest.
Why it was built and what it carries
The NO-UK cable was built to meet increasing demand for high-speed, low-latency connectivity between Norway and the United Kingdom. Norway's growing digital economy, coupled with the UK's role as a major European data hub, makes this connection commercially significant. While specific traffic types are not disclosed, submarine cables in this corridor typically carry internet, cloud services, and enterprise data.
History: what can be established
GeoCables records the NO-UK cable as ready for service in 2021. If alternative dates circulate in industry sources, they are not currently documented here. The cable's development aligns with broader trends in European connectivity, where regional cables are being deployed to support data-intensive industries and improve resilience.
Capacity and technology
Public sources do not disclose the cable's design capacity, fiber pair count, or specific technological features. Without operator documentation, attributing these parameters would be speculative. However, submarine cables of similar length and purpose typically employ dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technology to maximize capacity.
Latency: the physics
Theoretical one-way light propagation over the NO-UK cable's 713 km wet segment is approximately 3.5 milliseconds, with a round-trip time (RTT) floor of 7.0 milliseconds. These calculations assume ideal conditions, including light traveling at 200,000 to 204,000 km/s in optical fiber.
Live latency measurements, however, are significantly higher due to factors such as terrestrial network delays, terminal equipment processing, and internet routing inefficiencies. For example:
- Newcastle to Stavanger: Minimum RTT of 19.9 ms, average RTT of 36.1 ms.
- Kyiv to Stavanger: Minimum RTT of 54.0 ms, average RTT of 58.7 ms.
- Singapore to Stavanger: Minimum RTT of 178.6 ms, average RTT of 178.8 ms.
These figures reflect the full internet path rather than the cable alone.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
In the event of a disruption, redundancy in the North Sea corridor is supported by other cables landing at Newcastle and Stavanger. Newcastle hosts Havhingsten/North Sea Connect (NSC), while Stavanger connects to Eviny Digital, N0r5ke Viking 2, and Norfest. Standard industry practices for submarine cable repair include deploying specialized cable ships to locate and fix faults, a process that can take days to weeks depending on weather and fault complexity.
Bottom line
- NO-UK is a 713 km submarine cable connecting Stavanger, Norway, to Newcastle, United Kingdom.
- Owned by NO-UK COM AS, it was recorded as ready for service in 2021.
- Design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology are not publicly disclosed.
- Theoretical latency is 7.0 ms RTT for the wet segment, but live measurements show higher values due to real-world factors.
- Redundancy is supported by other cables in the North Sea corridor.