Verena: A Planned Submarine Cable Connecting Denmark and the United Kingdom
The Verena submarine cable is a planned telecommunications system designed to link
Esbjerg in Denmark with
Scarborough in the United Kingdom. Scheduled for readiness in 2028, this cable is owned by Altibox and aims to enhance connectivity between Northern Europe and the UK. While the cable is not yet operational, its future role in facilitating data transmission across the North Sea is anticipated to be significant for regional network infrastructure.
What makes Verena notable is the relative lack of publicly disclosed technical details about its design. Key parameters such as design capacity, fiber pair count, supplier, and specific technologies have not been made available, leaving room for speculation. Furthermore, while GeoCables records its ready-for-service year as 2028, discrepancies in industry sources, if any, could suggest alternative timelines. These uncertainties highlight the challenges in documenting planned cables before their deployment.
Quick facts
| Name |
Verena |
| Length |
630 km |
| Ready for Service (RFS) |
2028 (GeoCables database) |
| Owners |
Altibox |
| Status |
Planned - Not yet in operation |
| Design Capacity |
Not disclosed |
| Fiber Pairs |
Not disclosed |
| Supplier |
Not disclosed |
| Technology |
Not disclosed |
| Landing Points |
Esbjerg (Denmark); Scarborough (United Kingdom) |
🗺 Show Verena on the interactive cable map
Route
The Verena cable will traverse the North Sea, connecting Esbjerg, a key port city in western Denmark, to Scarborough, a coastal town in northern England. This route is geographically direct, spanning approximately 630 km. Esbjerg is a hub for offshore activities, including wind energy, while Scarborough serves as a landing site for other submarine cables, making both locations strategically relevant for telecommunications.
Why it was built and what it carries
The Verena cable is being constructed to address growing demand for high-capacity, low-latency connectivity between Denmark and the United Kingdom. This corridor is important for supporting data traffic between Northern Europe and the British Isles, both of which are significant hubs for business, technology, and cloud services. While specific details regarding the cable's capacity and technology remain undisclosed, it is likely to provide substantial bandwidth to accommodate future data growth in the region.
History: what can be established
Verena is planned to be ready for service in 2028, according to GeoCables records. As of now, the cable is not operational, and there is no publicly available information confirming its current construction status. If industry sources suggest a different RFS year, this discrepancy could arise from delays in permitting, supply chain issues, or updated project timelines. However, no such conflicting sources have been identified at this time.
Capacity and technology
Publicly available data does not confirm Verena's design capacity, the number of fiber pairs it will utilize, or the specific technologies employed. Without documentation from Altibox or other reliable sources, attributing these details would be speculative. It is reasonable to assume that the cable will leverage modern submarine systems capable of high throughput, but precise figures cannot be stated.
Latency: the physics
Theoretical latency calculations for Verena provide a baseline for understanding its performance. Light propagation over the 630 km wet segment would take approximately 3.1 milliseconds one-way, yielding a round-trip time (RTT) floor of 6.2 milliseconds. Real-world latency, however, will be higher due to land-based network tails, terminal equipment processing, and routing overhead.
Live latency measurements recorded by GeoCables from remote probes do not represent the cable itself but rather the full internet path between endpoints. For example, Scarborough to Esbjerg shows a minimum RTT of 36.5 ms, far exceeding the theoretical floor. This discrepancy is expected, as such measurements include additional delays from terrestrial infrastructure and routing inefficiencies.
Redundancy: what happens if it breaks
In the event of a failure, alternative cables in the North Sea corridor would likely absorb the traffic that Verena is intended to carry. Existing systems such as the North Sea Connect and other regional cables provide redundancy, ensuring continuity of service. Repairs for submarine cables typically involve specialized vessels equipped with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to locate and mend faults, a process that can take days or weeks depending on weather conditions and the nature of the damage.
Bottom line
- Verena is a planned submarine cable connecting Esbjerg, Denmark, and Scarborough, UK.
- Owned by Altibox, it is scheduled to be ready for service in 2028.
- Its design capacity, fiber pairs, supplier, and technology have not been publicly disclosed.
- Theoretical latency over the wet segment is approximately 6.2 ms RTT, but actual end-to-end latency will be higher.
- Redundancy is available through other North Sea cables, ensuring resilience in case of outages.