Isle of Man undersea internet cable work completed

The cable had two landing points on the south and south east of the island

Work to install an undersea internet cable in Manx waters to strengthen the island's connections with Ireland and the UK has been completed.

The 47-mile (75km) of fibre optic cable has landing points at Port Erin and Port Grenaugh.

The link will increase the resilience and reliability of the island's web connections, a government spokesman said.

The chief minister said that was "critical" to future economic growth.

It takes the number of undersea cables connected to the Isle of Man to seven.

The spokesman said having several cables would allow continued connectivity should one be damaged.

The installation was part of the wider Celtix-Connect 2 project by Aqua Comms, which works to improve links between the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe and America.

Chief Minister Alfred Cannan said: "Businesses place great importance in the quality of our off-island connectivity so I welcome the investment by Aqua Comms and its partners and am delighted to see the cable go live."

The latest installation is in line with the government's National Telecommunications Strategy, which aims to improve the island's connectivity with global markets and services.

Richard Oliphant, of government agency Digital Isle of Man, said cable was "critically important for the island's communications in the decades ahead".

He added: "From people using the internet to someone swiping their credit card in a shop, to businesses of all shapes and sizes, it will play a vital role in delivering that connectivity."