TAT-14

TAT-14 was a transatlantic telephone cable system that operated from 2001 to 2020. It was the fourteenth transatlantic telephone cable, hence the name. It connected the United States and several European countries, including the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, and Germany.

TAT-14 utilized wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology, allowing it to carry a significant amount of data traffic simultaneously across multiple wavelengths of light. The cable system comprised multiple fiber pairs, each capable of carrying substantial bandwidth.

The cable landed at multiple locations along the eastern coast of the United States and various locations along the western European coastline. These landing points provided connectivity to terrestrial networks, allowing data to be routed onward to its final destination.

The primary purpose of TAT-14 was to provide high-bandwidth telecommunications capacity between North America and Europe, supporting internet traffic, voice communications, and other data services. Its deployment was a significant step in increasing the overall bandwidth available for transatlantic communications.

The cable system was decommissioned in December 2020, having reached the end of its operational life and being superseded by newer, more advanced transatlantic cable systems with significantly higher capacities. The decommissioning process involved ceasing operations and potentially retrieving sections of the cable from the seabed.