Brasil Telecom GlobeNet has protected its submarine fibre-optic link between Bermuda and New Jersey from commercial fishing activity by reburying the cable.

In a statement yesterday, the company announced: "This section of the cable network runs along the Continental Shelf, ranging from 20 to 600 metres in depth, in an area known for a significant amount of commercial fishing activity.

"In order to ensure continued network security, GlobeNet and its wet cable maintenance provider IT Telecom reburied this fibre optic cable segment, to ensure the subsea cable is protected from anchors and trawling, which are common reasons for underwater cable faults."

The cable is part of a huge submarine cable ring, linking Bermuda, New Jersey, Brazil and Venezuela. It carries most of the Island's overseas telephone calls and internet traffic.

"As a result of this cable reburial, uptime of the lowest latency segment of our network ring will be significantly higher," said Luis Mario Alonso, director of operations and network engineering for GlobeNet.

"This initiative is an example of our company's constant commitment to protecting our network assets and minimising any potential problems for the end users on our network."