FEATURE

crossing of the Andes Mountain range, and great depth in the Beagle Channel.

To connect the Chilean side, you could connect through the network of Fiber Optic on the Argentine side to San Sebastian, a border that we share with Chile, and from there cross to Chile through this border crossing. Then within the Chilean territory, transport services to the island side Chile and the mainland by the network of government or also through the networks of private companies.

At the Transmission level, different technologies can be used. Equipment with DWDM, SDN, Smart Grid technologies with the transmission capacity that can go from 1.2 Tb / s per pair of Fibers. This capacity, without making changes in the wet plant, can grow, integrating hardware to the system, with very low latency which will make the system of great capacity and speed. These capacities will emerge from the traffic needs that each country involved in the project needs. This will allow not only to bring connectivity to the region but also that the optical networks can be secured, have high availability systems, not only in the region / Island but also for the networks that are currently carrying traffic in the Argentine-Chilean continents. It would be very important to integrate this with the state and private companies that are interested in expanding their capabilities. Not only this, but also the most important thing is to consider that, if we have any contingency, damage or cut of the submarine cable on the Argentine or Chilean side, we know that in these cases, getting a repair ship for submarine cables to arrive in the short term is not possible. Depending on its location, it would take about 21 days at least to move from Curaçao, an island in the Caribbean, to Tierra del Fuego Island. With this solution, we can have restoration paths for optical networks, ensuring connectivity.

Landing Point

• Ushuaia, Argentina

• Puerto Williams, Chile

• Puerto Almanza, Argentina

The length of the total submarine cable is 73 km.

In the analysis, we will consider making a referral to Puerto Almanza Locality, Argentina, which currently has no connectivity.

Proposed Cable Tpi

The project proposes a URC-1 and URC-2 type cable, according to Figure 4. The cable protections will be DA and SA, with their own considerations for both types. DA will be used for sections near the coasts, and SA for the deepest sections. The cable will have 24 optical fibers. This may change after the bathymetric study is performed locally.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the connection through a Submarine Network between Ushuaia (Argentina) and Puerto Williams (Chile) is of great strategic importance for the Tierra del Fuego region. Both nation-states being important and necessary actors, these issues must be incorporated into their agendas and addressed for the future of both countries. The benefit would be direct for about 250,000 inhabitants and indirect for all those who want to connect to these mixed optical network solutions, both terrestrial and submarine. This would improve connectivity, promote economic and social development, education, research, medicine, tourism, security, and improve the quality of life of people in the region. It is necessary to take measures to carry out this project, which would be an investment in the future of the region and its inhabitants.

JAVIER VALDEZ is based in Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is a member of the SubOptic Association, working in the Mentor & Mentee Committee for submarine programs. He is a consultant in terrestrial and submarine optical networks with 31 years’ experience in the telecommunications market. He has participated in numerous projects worldwide for terrestrial and submarine optical network projects, and is a Professor at the National Technological University, UTN-BA, as well as is also Professor of internships, in training courses at the UBA University of Buenos Aires, for young professionals. He is an active member of the Subcommittee of Fiber Optics, in the COPITEC Professional Council of Telecommunications, Electronics and Computer Engineering, and and has worked on the Operations Committee of FBA-LATAM Fiber Broadband LatAm since 2001. He is currently a consultant in Optical Networks, Telecommunications sector.Top of the form

References:

Province of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands. (2020, April 16) Argentina.gob.ar. https://www.argentina.gob.ar/tierradelfuego

ISCPC Recommendations, https://www.iscpc.org/publications/recommendations/