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3 December 2014 Response to GCHQ GERONTIC NIGELLA Bases Eyed
Electrospaces writes: I read the posting "GCHQ GERONTIC NIGELLA Bases Eyed" http://cryptome.org/2014/12/gchq-gerontic-nigella.htm
and looked up those suggested cable stations. Here's what I found so
far: http://www.stevenheaton.co.uk/SubmarineCableLandingsUK/?p=40 There it's said: "This cable landing station is believed to have been initially built for the Gemini submarine cable landing at nearby Porthcurno which commenced service in 1988. It is understood that the Hugo cable now terminates here." The HUGO cable is not on any of the recently disclosed lists of cables where GCHQ has or want access to. This cable only connects to Guernsey (with a separate extension to France), so the foreign intelligence value of its traffic can be considered very low. The similar building at Bosvine Farm, Sennen (50.0747, -5.6848) is also mentioned on the same weblog here: http://www.stevenheaton.co.uk/SubmarineCableLandingsUK/?p=45 There it's said: "By process of elimination, this is most likely the cable landing station for the ESAT-1 cable which has landfall at Whitesands Bay. The Cable entered service in 1999. In 2000 Esat Telecom was purchased by BT, now called BT Ireland." The GCHQ Cable Master List mentions no Landing Partner for the ESAT-1 cable (which only connects to Ireland), and probably as such it is listed under "Cables we do not currently have good access" So far, these two very similar looking cable stations are apparently for two very different cables, and therefore it seems they have nothing to do with the FLAG cables and their terminus station in Skewjack where GCHQ does have access to.
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