SHEFA-2

Overview

SHEFA-2 is a regional submarine cable system spanning approximately 1,000 kilometres, connecting the Faroe Islands and the United Kingdom. It serves the North Atlantic corridor between these two territories, providing direct submarine connectivity between the Faroe Islands and multiple landing points along the British coastline.

Route and Landings

In the Faroe Islands, the cable lands at Torshavn, the territory's capital and primary landing hub.

In the United Kingdom, SHEFA-2 reaches six landing points: Ayre of Cara, Banff, BP Clair Ridge, Glen Lyon, Maywick, and Sandwick. This distribution of landings across the UK reflects a notably branched architecture, with connections spread across multiple coastal and offshore locations.

Ownership and Operators

SHEFA-2 is owned by Shefa, which operates the cable as a single-owner system rather than through a multi-party consortium arrangement.

Status and Timeline

SHEFA-2 became ready for service in 2008 and has been operational for approximately 18 years. It connects a relatively small but geographically distinct North Atlantic territory to the well-established submarine cable infrastructure of the United Kingdom.

Strategic Context

The corridor linking the Faroe Islands and the United Kingdom supports a modest but distinct submarine cable ecosystem. The Faroe Islands are served by just two submarine cables landing across two points, with an average cable length of around 1,103 kilometres. The United Kingdom, by contrast, is one of the most heavily connected countries in the world for submarine cable infrastructure, with 42 cables landing across 105 points.

SHEFA-2's 1,000-kilometre length places it longer than 71% of the other cables touching the same countries, making it a relatively substantial system within this specific corridor. Most of the UK's other cable connections — such as 2Africa, the Europe India Gateway, Atlantic Crossing-1, Apollo, EXA North and South, and Glo-1 — are intercontinental systems many times longer, serving entirely different geographic routes. SHEFA-2 is distinct in its regional, point-to-point focus on the Faroe Islands–UK link.

Shefa, the owner of SHEFA-2, operates as a single-owner system rather than through a consortium arrangement. This approach ensures that Shefa has full control over the cable's operations and maintenance, providing a streamlined and efficient service to its users in the region.

The Faroe Islands are an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, known for their unique geography and limited connectivity options.

With 42 cables landing across 105 points, the UK is well-positioned to handle high volumes of data traffic, making SHEFA-2 an important part of this broader ecosystem.

The strategic placement of multiple landing points along the British coastline in SHEFA-2 reflects a commitment to redundancy and resilience.