TAT-12/13 is a ring cable system consisting of the 12th and 13th consortia transatlantic telephone cables, in operation from 1996, initially carrying 2 × 5 Gbit/s. This was the first TAT cable to use a ring structure, involving two stretches of cable across the ocean floor, which explains why two numbers (12 and 13) were used. All later cables also use a ring structure, but only use one number ( TAT-14 etc.). The cable connected between

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

(at Shirley, New York), USA; Green Hill, Rhode Island, USA; Porthcurno, UK; Bude, UK; and

Penmarch Penmarch (, ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany, northwestern France. The cable was constructed for US$740 million and was supplied jointly by AT&T Submarine Systems, Inc (now TE Subcom owned by TE Connectivity), STC Submarine Systems (acquired by Alcatel-Lucent) and Alcatel Submarcom. Ring switching equipment was provided by the Toshiba Corporation in each of the four cable stations. The cables in this system were the first on the trans-Atlantic route to make use of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers. The TAT-12/13 consortia removed the cable from normal commercial service on 31 December 2008.

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* Infrastructure completed in 1996 Transatlantic communications cables France–United Kingdom relations France–United States relations United Kingdom–United States relations 1996 establishments in England 1996 establishments in France 1996 establishments in New York (state) 1996 establishments in Rhode Island {{telecomm-stub