Stavanger, Norway – 13 April 2026 – Altibox Carrier today announced that the contract for the new high-capacity subsea cable system Verena, linking the United Kingdom and Denmark across the North Sea, is now in force, marking the formal start of delivery. The state-of-the-art system will provide a massive design capacity of 512 Tbps, significantly strengthening digital resilience and route diversity between the United Kingdom and the Nordic region.
The Verena system will span approximately 630 kilometers, connecting Scarborough on the east coast of England to Esbjerg in Denmark. Named in honor of the pioneering British engineer Verena Holmes, the 16-fiber-pair cable is scheduled to be Ready-for-Service (RFS) in the fourth quarter of 2028.
“International connectivity into the Nordics is entering a new phase of growth,” says Svein Arild Ims, CEO of Altibox Carrier. “Verena will play a critical role in supporting that demand by delivering a high-capacity, resilient route between Denmark and the UK. We are delighted to be working with our partners to bring this important system to life”.
The project is supported by a world-class group of partners, who shared the following statements regarding the contract milestone:
Geir Holmer, CEO of JTD Associates: “We have carried good momentum into 2026 and we’re pleased with how the programme is tracking to our key, early milestones and how our build-partners are all working in close collaboration.”
Keith Henderson, CEO of Xtera: “We are proud to bring Xtera’s subsea engineering expertise to the Verena system. By working closely with Altibox Carrier and our project partners, we look forward to delivering a robust and reliable platform for the next generation of digital infrastructure.”
Jo Braadlie, Managing Director at Cecon Contracting: “Cecon Contracting is proud to lead the marine installation and protection of the Verena subsea cable system, with our state-of-the-art vessel Cecon Vigor, ensuring the long-term security of the installation.”
Peter Fisk, Managing Director of Pelagian: “Pelagian Ltd were delighted to be selected as consultants for the Verena submarine cable system. With initial engineering and route studies completed successfully, the next step is to conduct cable route survey operations over the coming months”.
