Press Release
First transatlantic cable built by a single operator in a decade expands EXA Infrastructure’s transatlantic core as demand for fibre-pair capacity accelerates
EXA Infrastructure, one of the largest dedicated digital infrastructure platforms throughout Europe, today announced the launch of EXA Meridian, a new 6,552 km transatlantic subsea cable between New Jersey, U.S., and Brean, UK. Scheduled to be ready for service in 2029, EXA Meridian will become the ninth transatlantic cable in EXA Infrastructure’s portfolio, adding significant new capacity and route diversity between North America and Europe, two of the world’s largest digital markets. It will also be the first transatlantic cable built by a single operator in a decade.
Demand for transatlantic infrastructure is growing as AI, cloud, and distributed data centre architectures generate more traffic between North America and Europe. At the same time, the largest capacity buyers are increasingly procuring spectrum and complete fibre pairs rather than individual wavelengths. EXA Meridian is purpose-built for this market shift. Designed with 24 fibre pairs, EXA Meridian delivers over 500 Tbps of scalable, long-term capacity for Hyperscalers, Neoclouds, financial institutions, government and research organisations.
The project has now reached Contract in Force (CIF) with subsea telecommunications specialist Xtera, marking a significant milestone in its development. The agreement follows extensive planning and early engagement with the supply chain, drawing on EXA Infrastructure’s team experience in delivering complex subsea systems. Xtera will act as a key supplier to the project, which is being led and delivered by EXA Infrastructure, a leader in delivery of wholesale transatlantic capacity.
Unlike a standalone subsea cable, EXA Meridian will connect directly into EXA Infrastructure’s existing owned network. A new cable landing station in Brean will connect the system through diverse terrestrial routes to Slough and EXA Infrastructure’s pan-European backbone. This integration into the wider platform will give customers an enhanced network mesh with multiple options for moving large volumes of data between North America and European regions, with greater choice over routes, resilience, and geographic diversity.
“Demand across the Atlantic is changing quickly. The largest customers are increasingly planning in spectrum and fibre pairs, and the capacity they will need towards the end of the decade has to be built now,” said Jim Fagan, CEO at EXA Infrastructure. “With a Ready For Service (RFS) date set for 2029, EXA Meridian will be the only cable with sufficient capacity to satisfy these large-scale demands.
“We have consistently committed to investing to meet strong demand. That means understanding where the market is going, securing the capital to act early and having the experience to execute when the opportunity arrives.
By integrating EXA Meridian directly into infrastructure that we own and operate across Europe, we can give customers greater route choice, resilience and accountability. It demonstrates the discipline behind our investment strategy and our confidence in continuing to build as commercial demand requires.”
EXA Meridian is already supported by significant anchor customer commitments, including leading Neocloud and Hyperscale players, providing strong commercial backing for the investment alongside tier-one suppliers secured to support project delivery. The system is targeted to be ready for service in Q4 2029.
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