Key Points:
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Amazon Fastnet is a new high-capacity subsea cable connecting the U.S. and Ireland with over 320 terabits per second (Tbps) bandwidth.
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Amazon Fastnet aims to power cloud computing, AI, and AWS operations, offering data speeds equivalent to 12.5 million HD streams simultaneously.
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Amazon Fastnet will enhance global internet resilience, reduce latency, and strengthen Amazon Web Services’ control over global data traffic by 2028.
Amazon Fastnet Marks a Major Leap in Global Connectivity
The Amazon Fastnet subsea cable represents one of Amazon’s most ambitious infrastructure projects to date. Announced as the company’s first independently owned subsea fibre-optic system, Fastnet will stretch across the Atlantic Ocean — linking Maryland, USA, with County Cork, Ireland. With a massive capacity exceeding 320 terabits per second (Tbps), Amazon Fastnet is designed to handle the data throughput equivalent of 12.5 million HD video streams at once.
This enormous capacity highlights the crucial role Amazon Fastnet will play in supporting Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company’s powerful cloud computing division that drives global innovation in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and edge computing. Subsea fibre-optic cables form the foundation of global communication, carrying over 95% of the world’s international data. By creating its first independent subsea connection, Amazon moves a step closer to achieving complete control over its data routing, redundancy, and security.
Amazon’s decision to invest in its own cable marks a shift from previous collaborations on shared systems such as Jako, Bifrost, and Havfrue. Unlike those projects, Amazon Fastnet gives AWS full ownership and operational authority, providing faster and more secure data transmission between North America and Europe — two of the company’s biggest cloud markets.
Amazon Fastnet Strengthens AWS Infrastructure and AI Capabilities
The Amazon Fastnet subsea cable is not just about speed — it’s about scaling global cloud operations for the next generation of digital applications. With AI, big data, and real-time analytics driving global demand, AWS needs higher bandwidth and lower latency connections between its data centres. Amazon Fastnet directly addresses these needs by offering a dedicated transatlantic route that can handle enormous data volumes without congestion.
Matt Rehder, vice president of core networking at AWS, explained the strategic importance of subsea connectivity: “Subsea is really essential for AWS and for any connectivity internationally across oceans. Without it, you’d have to rely on satellite connectivity, which has higher latency, higher costs, and simply can’t meet the throughput requirements our customers expect.”
This statement captures why Amazon Fastnet is more than a technical project — it’s a long-term investment in digital reliability. As cloud adoption accelerates, Amazon’s enterprise customers increasingly depend on uninterrupted connectivity for critical operations such as banking, healthcare, logistics, and government data systems. Amazon Fastnet ensures that AWS can deliver seamless performance even as global data demands continue to skyrocket.
Moreover, the cable’s 320 Tbps capacity makes it one of the fastest ever built. This technological advancement ensures that AWS can support new-age workloads, including generative AI models, edge-based services, and immersive media experiences, all of which rely heavily on high-speed data transfer between continents.
Amazon Fastnet Enhances Global Network Resilience and Lowers Latency
The Amazon Fastnet subsea cable also plays a key role in improving global network resilience. By building its own cable system, Amazon reduces dependency on shared infrastructure and external providers. This means that even in cases of outages or disruptions affecting other networks, AWS customers can still rely on consistent service and reduced downtime.
With Amazon Fastnet, Amazon is addressing one of the biggest challenges in modern digital infrastructure — latency. Latency refers to the delay in data transmission across networks, and even milliseconds can make a difference for financial markets, video conferencing, and real-time gaming. By establishing a direct connection between the U.S. and Ireland, Amazon Fastnet significantly cuts data travel time between North America and Europe, improving response speeds for millions of users and applications.
This improved latency will especially benefit industries like fintech, where speed and accuracy are mission-critical. Similarly, global enterprises hosting their services on AWS will experience faster synchronization across international teams and cloud regions. For example, AI model training, which requires massive data transfers between servers, will now occur at lightning-fast speeds thanks to Amazon Fastnet’s enhanced throughput.
Additionally, by choosing County Cork, Ireland as its European landing point, Amazon is strengthening its presence in a country that already serves as a key technology and data hub for global cloud companies. This move will help balance data flow across Europe, ensuring better regional redundancy and operational stability for AWS’s expanding network.
Amazon Fastnet Reinforces AWS’s Independence from Microsoft Azure
Another major implication of the Amazon Fastnet project is how it positions Amazon in the broader cloud infrastructure landscape. Until recently, Amazon’s cloud expansion relied on shared systems and partnerships, but with Amazon Fastnet, the company is demonstrating a strategic shift toward self-reliance — particularly in response to competitors like Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.
By owning its subsea cable, AWS gains full control over its international data transfer routes. This independence allows Amazon to fine-tune network performance, allocate bandwidth as needed, and implement advanced security measures without relying on third-party networks. In doing so, Amazon Fastnet gives AWS a competitive advantage in reliability and scalability, setting the stage for future AI and data-heavy workloads.
The cable also underscores Amazon’s long-term vision to create a globally unified cloud infrastructure. While satellite connectivity continues to evolve, subsea fibre remains unmatched in terms of cost efficiency, reliability, and capacity. Through Amazon Fastnet, AWS can now offer its enterprise clients greater assurance that their data will move swiftly and securely, no matter the geographic distance.
Beyond the technical aspects, this project demonstrates Amazon’s growing influence in shaping the digital backbone of the global internet. By directly investing in transoceanic infrastructure, the company isn’t just improving AWS performance — it’s redefining how the cloud ecosystem itself is built and maintained.
Amazon Fastnet Expected to Go Live by 2028
The Amazon Fastnet cable is expected to become fully operational by 2028, marking a new era for high-capacity data exchange between continents. Although Amazon has not publicly revealed the total investment, industry analysts expect the project to cost several billion dollars, aligning with the scale of similar global subsea ventures.
Once completed, Amazon Fastnet will become a cornerstone of AWS’s international operations, providing the capacity and flexibility required to power the next decade of cloud innovation. From AI-driven platforms to immersive media streaming, the system will ensure that data moves faster, safer, and more efficiently across the world.
In essence, Amazon Fastnet is more than a cable — it’s a symbol of the future of connectivity. It represents Amazon’s determination to own and optimise every layer of the digital infrastructure that powers its vast ecosystem. As global demand for cloud services continues to surge, projects like Amazon Fastnet will define how companies, governments, and individuals connect in a hyper-digital world.
