PISCES Seeks MARA Consent for Galway Landfall

Afloat.ie Team, Afloat.ie
October 21, 2026

PISCES Cable System Limited has applied to Ireland's Maritime Area Regulatory Authority for maritime consent covering its proposed cable landfall at Ballyloughane Strand in Galway Bay. Application MAC260029 was received October 5, 2026, and remains in Applied status, not approved. The filing covers installation, operation, monitoring, maintenance, repair and eventual decommissioning. A Maritime Area Consent, or MAC, is a gateway to the planning process, not permission to build. The application therefore represents a regulatory step for the proposed international connection, rather than authorization to begin laying cable.

The latest project description specifies 16 fiber pairs. From Galway, the planned route would reach Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez in France, Sopelana in Spain and Carcavelos in Portugal. The proposed system would give Ireland direct telecommunications links to three mainland European countries, diversifying its international connections. That multi-landing design also broadens the system's practical route options across western Europe. For network operators, the significance lies in the additional geographic routing options, rather than any transmission-capacity figure, which the supplied project account does not specify.

Commercial development has also advanced. On October 14, Orange disclosed a PISCES joint venture involving Equitix and Irish subsea cable developer MDM, with support from the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility. Equitix Infra Ireland provides backing, with the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund serving as its anchor investor. That partnership establishes the commercial framework behind the proposed route, while the Galway application addresses a separate regulatory requirement. Neither the joint venture announcement nor the funding support constitutes consent to install the system in Irish waters.

According to Orange's project update, Elettra Tlc and Orange Marine completed marine route surveys in August, while engineering and permitting remain underway. Deployment is anticipated in 2028, subject to the required approvals. The immediate position is therefore one of continued development and regulatory review, with Ballyloughane Strand identified as the proposed Irish landing location. No confirmed construction start date has been established by the application. MARA's applications and determinations register remains the reference for the filing's status and any subsequent decision.

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