et us ▁for ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁spark ed ▁by ▁the ▁service ▁dis ru ptions ▁caused ▁by ▁H urr icane ▁Sand y ▁in ▁October . ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁began ▁shortly ▁afterwards , ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁finished ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁connecting ▁Virginia ▁Beach , ▁Virginia , ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁with ▁S op el ana , ▁a ▁town ▁near ▁Bil ba o , ▁Spain . ▁It ▁began ▁operations ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Tel x ius ▁announced ▁that ▁AWS ▁had ▁signed ▁an ▁IR U ▁agreement ▁to ▁use ▁one ▁of ▁MA RE A ' s ▁eight ▁fi ber ▁pairs ▁( Microsoft ▁and ▁Facebook ▁each ▁own ▁two ▁pairs , ▁and ▁Tel x ius ▁will ▁have ▁three ▁pairs ▁for ▁other ▁customers ▁and ▁its ▁own ▁use . ▁ ▁Operation ▁▁ ▁Tel x ius ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁construction ▁and ▁operation ▁of ▁the ▁cable , ▁which ▁connect s ▁Virginia ▁Beach , ▁Virginia , ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁with ▁S op el ana , ▁Spain ▁( near ▁Bil ba o ). ▁ ▁The ▁cable ▁was ▁initially ▁expected ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁transmission ▁speed ▁of ▁ 1 6 0 ▁ter ab its ▁per ▁second . ▁( Spec ific ally , ▁ 8 ▁fi ber ▁pairs ▁* ▁ 2 5 ▁D W DM ▁channels ▁* ▁ 4 0 0 ▁G bit / s ▁per ▁single ▁car rier ▁( 1 6 - Q AM ▁mod ulation ) ▁=