View source for CANTAT-3

{{Short description|Canadian transatlantic telecommunications cable}}

{{Infobox Submarine communications cable
| cable_name     = CANTAT-3
| owners         = [[Føroya Tele]]
| operator       = 
| map            = CANTAT-3-route.png
| landing_points =
{{unbulleted list
| '''1.''' [[Pennant Point, Nova Scotia|Pennant Point]], [[Nova Scotia]], [[Canada]] (defunct since 2010)
| '''2.''' [[Vestmannaeyjar]], [[Iceland]] (turned off in 2023)
| '''3.''' [[Tjørnuvík]], [[Faroe Islands]]
| '''4.''' [[Redcar]], [[North Yorkshire]], [[United Kingdom|UK]] (defunct)
| '''5.''' [[Blaabjerg]], [[Denmark]]
| '''6.''' [[Sylt]], [[Germany]]
| '''7.''' Valdemar Oil Platforms, [[North Sea]]
}}
| technology      = NL-16 laser regenerative
| design_capacity = 2.5 Gigabit/Second
| first_use_date  = 1994
}}
<!---- {{Start date|2001|04|08}} ---->

'''CANTAT-3''' was the third [[Canada|Canadian]] [[transatlantic telecommunications cable]], in regular operation from 1994 to 2010, carrying 3 x 2.5&nbsp;Gbit/s between [[Canada]] and [[Europe]]. It branches to both [[Iceland]] and the [[Faroe Islands]].<ref name="farice">[https://www.farice.is/about-us/company-history/ Farice: The background of the FARICE-1 cable]</ref> It is out of normal service for international bandwidth and is currently operated by [[Føroya Tele]] to service oil platforms in the North Sea. 

== Landing Points ==
The [[Cable landing point|landing points]] are:
#[[Pennant Point, Nova Scotia|Pennant Point]], [[Nova Scotia]], [[Canada]] (defunct since 2010)
#[[Vestmannaeyjar]], [[Iceland]]<ref>{{Cite press release |url=http://mila.is/english/about-us/news/detail/item17504/ |title=Míla ehf. and Føroya Tele signed 3 year contract |website=Míla |access-date=2013-09-18 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130918001932/http://mila.is/english/about-us/news/detail/item17504/ |archive-date=2013-09-18 }}</ref> (Turned off in 2023)
#[[Tjørnuvík]], [[Faroe Islands]]
#[[Redcar]], [[North Yorkshire]], [[United Kingdom|UK]] (defunct)
#[[Blaabjerg]], [[Denmark]]
#[[Sylt]], [[Germany]]
#Valdemar Oil Platforms, [[North Sea]] (connected in 2012)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Offshore oil and gas |website=Orange Marine |url=https://marine.orange.com/en/services/offshore-oil-and-gas/ |access-date=2022-08-08 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== History ==
CANTAT-3 is the only NL-16 laser regenerative 2.5 Gig/s submarine system built in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/greenlandtheory/greenland/odin-cable-system?tmpl=%2Fsystem%2Fapp%2Ftemplates%2Fprint%2F&showPrintDialog=1|title=12.17 ODIN Cable System|website=Greenland Theory|access-date=31 December 2018}}</ref> Part of this huge system was built at STC Submarine Networks, [[Portland, Oregon]], [[United States|USA]], from 1993–1994 (which later became [[Alcatel Submarine Networks]]). STC Submarine Networks in [[Southampton]], [[Hampshire]], [[United Kingdom|UK]], made the rest of the system. The Canadian portion (shore end system) was laid off [[Nova Scotia]] by the [[VSNL International Canada|Teleglobe]] cable ship CS John Cabot. The main-lay portion was deployed off Nova Scotia towards the Faroes on board the [[AT&T Corporation|AT&T]] ship Global Mariner. Other cable ships were involved in the completion of this system. This was the northernmost cable system ever deployed at the time.

CANTAT-3 was operated{{Until when|date=May 2024}} by [[India]]'s [[VSNL International Canada|Teleglobe]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

On December 17, 2006, CANTAT-3 services were disrupted due to damage to the [[submarine communications cable|submarine cable]], resulting in degradation of service to hundreds of thousands of users connecting via internet and media providers ([[Síminn]], [[Vodafone]] and [[HIVE (ISP)|Hive]]). The country was however backed up by the second submarine cable, [[FARICE-1]] The most notable effect of the event was a temporary shut-down of data communications by Iceland's universities and hospitals, which relied exclusively on CANTAT-3's services. Although it was predicted that a full recovery of the cable would take ten days, starting from midnight on January 13, 2007, it actually took until July 29, 2007 before service was fully restored. During that time, the Icelandic universities and hospitals in [[Akureyri]] and [[Reykjavík]] relied on emergency connectivity obtained via local internet providers [[Síminn]] and [[Vodafone]]. The Icelandic government decided not to buy extra bandwidth for the university network through the functioning [[FARICE-1]] cable, despite being a large shareholder in FARICE-1.<ref>[http://www.siminn.is/um-simann/frettasetur/nanar/item31135/ Press release by Síminn at 2006-12-17 about failure of CANTAT-3] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130918001907/http://www.siminn.is/um-simann/frettasetur/nanar/item31135/|date=2013-09-18}} (Icelandic)</ref>

Given that CANTAT-3 suffered multiple<ref name="farice" /><ref>[http://www.siminn.is/um-simann/frettasetur/nanar/store63/item4304/ Press release by Síminn at 2003-11-05 about failure of CANTAT-3] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130918001914/http://www.siminn.is/um-simann/frettasetur/nanar/store63/item4304/ |date=2013-09-18 }} (Icelandic)</ref> interruptions, the alternative cables [[FARICE-1]], [[DANICE]] and [[Greenland Connect]] were established and/or expanded<ref name="farice" /> to ensure cabled telecommunication connectivity in Iceland. CANTAT-3 also had too little capacity by 2007 for domestic Internet usage, and became outdated as soon as the DANICE cable came into operation by 2009.

== Usage ==
[[Føroya Tele]] (Faroese Telecom) took over ownership and operation of the cable in 2012 to service [[oil platform]]s in the [[North Sea]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} 

As of 2022, CANTAT-3 is still in use and is powered from the Faroe Islands, Germany, Denmark and Valdemar Oil Platforms. Given its obsolete bandwidth capacity, providing service to oil platforms is the currently the primary function of CANTAT-3. The [[Transatlantic communications cable|transatlantic]] portion as well as the spur to [[England]] is no longer in operation and has not been replaced.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Shefa Network |url=https://www.shefa.fo/elbowroom/ |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=Shefa |language=fo}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==
*[http://www.hafro.is/Bokasafn/Timarit/fjolr-109.pdf The Iceland Basin, -Topography and Oceanographic Features-, Svend-Aage Malmberg, Marine Research Institute, Reykjavík 2004.] Accessed 13 January 2006. Map of CANTAT-3 cable route on p13.

== External links ==
*[http://www.nordunet2003.is/smasidur/yves.ppt 2003 Nordunet Annual Conference]
*[http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=2879 TeleGeography.com: ''New submarine cable to dramatically increase Iceland's data transmission capacity'', Monday, 9 February 2004] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715101002/http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=2879 |date=15 July 2007 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121030061410/http://www.islandsofresilience.eu/pdf/ior_full.pdf Islands of Resilience: Comparative Model for Energy, Connectivity and Jurisdiction - Realizing European ICT possibilities through a case study of Iceland] Accessed 30 January 2013.

{{Telecommunications in Iceland}}
{{Transatlantic telecommunications cables}}
{{Submarine communications cables in the Atlantic Ocean}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cantat-3}}

[[Category:Infrastructure completed in 1994]]
[[Category:Submarine communications cables in the North Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Submarine communications cables in the North Sea]]
[[Category:Transatlantic communications cables]]
[[Category:1994 establishments in Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:1994 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:2010 disestablishments in Nova Scotia]]
[[Category:2010 disestablishments in Europe]]