Apollo (cable system)

{{short description|Optical submarine communications cable system}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

{{Infobox Submarine communications cable

| owners = Apollo Submarine Cable System Ltd

| cable_name = Apollo

| map = Apollo-Cable-route.png

| landing_points =

{{unbulleted list

| 1. {{flagicon|UK}} Bude, Cornwall ({{Coord|50|50|7.8|N|4|33|9|W}}){{cite web|url=http://www.seafish.org/media/527594/apollo_flyer_web.pdf|title=Submarine Cable Awareness Chart: Apollo North & Apollo South Submarine Cable System|author=Apollo Submarine Cable System|date=2008-10-03}}

| 2. {{flagicon|France}} Lannion, Brittany ({{Coord|48|44|47|N|3|32|50|W}})

| 3. {{flagicon|USA}} Shirley, New York

| 4. {{flagicon|USA}} Manasquan, New Jersey

}}

| technology = Fibre Optic DWDM

| design_capacity = {{nowrap|over 3.2 Tbit/s per Leg}}

| current_capacity = unknown

| length = 13,000 km

| topology = Two fully diverse paths

| first_use_date = early {{Start date|2003}}

}}

Apollo is an optical submarine communications cable system crossing the Atlantic Ocean, owned by Vodafone. {{cite web|last=Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc.|title=Submarine Cable Industry Report Issue 1|url=http://www.subtelforum.com/articles/wp-content/IndustryReport-2012.pdf|accessdate=1 September 2013|pages=36|date=July 2012}} It consists of 2 segments North and South, creating two fully diverse transatlantic paths.

In early 2006, Level 3 Communications announced its purchase of 300 Gbit/s of capacity between Apollo North and Apollo South with an option to purchase up 300 Gbit/s of future capacity. This acquisition gives Level 3 a transatlantic path that does not pass through either London or New York City, which is desirable to carriers due to network diversity concerns. This purchase represents the single largest transaction of sub-sea capacity in history without laying new cable.

Principal access points

Apollo has principal access points at the following locations:{{cite web |title=Apollo Submarine Cable System |date=19 August 2019 |url=https://www.vodafone.com/business/news-and-insights/blog/gigabit-thinking/apollo-submarine-cable-system |publisher=Vodafone |access-date=18 October 2021}}

;United States

;United Kingdom

;France

Security breach

In February 2018, The Sunday Times reported that the infrastructure for the UK landing site of the Apollo, GLO-1 and Europe India Gateway cables had been found almost entirely unprotected. Their reporter was able to reach the premises without being challenged, and found the door to the generator room unlocked and left ajar. Vodafone, who manage the facility, said that he had not reached critical equipment and "would not have been able to interrupt the operation of the facility."{{cite news | newspaper = The Sunday Times | date = 4 February 2018 | title = Data-cable security scandal: It's easier to enter than a public library | author = Gabriel Pogrund | page = 9 | url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/data-cable-security-scandal-its-easier-to-enter-than-a-public-library-gclgb07ss }}{{Cite web |last=Hookham |first=Mark |last2=Pogrund |first2=Gabriel |date=2018-02-04 |title=Revealed: how reporter strolled into UK’s ‘secure’ data‑cable sites |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/revealed-how-reporter-strolled-into-uks-secure-data-cable-sites-f6fx2hndv |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240914222004/https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/revealed-how-reporter-strolled-into-uks-secure-data-cable-sites-f6fx2hndv |archive-date=2024-09-14 |access-date=2024-09-14 |website=The Times |language=en}}

References

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