SubTel Forum Magazine #133 - Data Centers & New Technology

SUBMARINE TELECOMS

FORUM ISSUE 133 | NOVEMBER 2023

DATA CENTERS

AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES

PLUS

PTC ’24 CONFERENCE PREVIEW

anniversary

ISSUE

EXORIDUM FROM THE PUBLISHER WELCOME TO ISSUE 133, OUR DATA CENTERS & NEW TECHNOLOGY FEATURING PTC ’24 PREVIEW, AND SUBTEL FORUM’S 22ND ANNIVERSARY EDITION! 12TH ANNUAL SUBMARINE TELECOMS INDUSTRY REPORT

We released our 12th Annual Submarine Telecoms Industry Report in October, which has already been downloaded more than 500,000 times. In this report, we’ve identified more than $17.6 billion in new projects actively being pursued. Of these, contracts worth $8.5 billion are already in place, with $3.7 billion of those slated for completion in 2023 alone. We were honored to have Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the newly appointed Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, contribute this year’s foreword and accompanying video commentary, discussing the state of the ITU and its initiatives related to submarine cables. Haven’t seen it yet? Click here.

ANNUAL INDUSTRY SENTIMENT SURVEY

Thanks to all who participated in our annual industry sentiment survey, which was highlighted in the 12th Annual Submarine Telecoms Industry Report. We typically receive hundreds of responses, which is incredibly useful in deciphering the mood and perceived direction of our industry.

2024 SUBMARINE CABLE MAP

We are preparing our 2024 Submarine Cables of the World printed wall map, set for release early next year. The map will be distributed at key industry conferences like PTC ’24 and Submarine Networks, and sponsor’s logos will be a constant presence on customers’ walls throughout the year. Interested?

Click here to secure a spot in the upcoming Cable Map!

PTC ’24 CONFERENCE

We are thrilled to be traveling to Honolulu again in January and attending the PTC ’24 Conference. Pacific

2 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

Telecoms Council always puts together an awesome conference, and we expect their event to be another excellent opportunity to learn, as well as see industry friends.

SUBTEL FORUM 22ND ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

When Ted Breeze and I established our little magazine in 2001, our hope was to get enough interest to keep it going for a while. We were building on our previous successes of “Soundings” and “Real Time” from BT Marine and SAIC, respectively, and we realized that the industry that had sustained us was headed into a dark time; it would need a place to express itself like never before.

So, we kicked around a few ideas, talked with a few trusted industry friends, and took a BIG chance. And in November 2001, just after 9/11 and the start of our largest industry downturn, and with a budget consisting of the balance of a severance package from me and some “borrowed” software and pics from him, we published our first issue, which consisted of eight articles and seven complimentary advertisements.

In our now 22nd year, we’ve upped our game in ways

A Publication of Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc. www.subtelforum.com | ISSN No. 1948-3031 PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER: Wayne Nielsen | wnielsen@subtelforum.com | [+1] (703) 444-2527 VICE PRESIDENT: Kristian Nielsen | knielsen@subtelforum.com | [+1] (703) 444-0845

never originally imagined, tried novel approaches to businesses new to us, even recreated our mission statement as a part of our drive toward providing continuing education: “To provide a freely accessible forum for the illumination and education of professionals in industries connected with submarine optical fiber technologies and techniques.”

We continue to publish SubTel Forum with two key founding principles always in mind, which annually I reaffirm to you, our readers: • That we will provide a wide range of ideas and issues; • That we will seek to incite, entertain, and provoke in a positive manner.

THANK YOU

Thank you to the more than 100 sponsors and 700 authors who have contributed to SubTel Forum over the last 22 years!

Thanks also for their support to this issue’s advertisers: Submarine Networks World, Fígoli Consulting, International Wire and Cable Symposium, and WFN Strategies.

Of course, our ever popular and newly refashioned “where in the world are all those pesky cableships” is included as well.

Lastly, we hope SubTel Forum continues to be your premier destination for news and analysis related to the submarine cable industry.

Good reading – Slava Ukraini , and see you at the Mai Tai Bar…STF

Wayne Nielsen, Publisher

ANALYTICS: Kieran Clark | kclark@subtelforum.com | [+1] (540) 533-6965 SALES: Kristian Nielsen | knielsen@subtelforum.com | [+1] (703) 444-0845 DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Weswen Design | wendy@weswendesign.com DEPARTMENT WRITERS: Andrés Fígoli, George Ramírez, Greg Otto, Kieran Clark, Kristian Nielsen, Nicole Starosielski, Philip Pilgrim, Syeda Humera, and Wayne Nielsen FEATURE WRITERS: Alex Vaxmonsky, Brian Lavallée, Brian Moon, Darwin Evans, David Korede, Derek Cassidy, Devon Johnson, Greg Reinecke, Kristian Nielsen, Lidia Galdino, Mathias Balling, Mike Clare, Pascal Pecci, Richard Norris, and Sergejs Markovejs NEXT ISSUE: JANUARY 2024 – Global Outlook AUTHOR & ARTICLE INDEX: www.subtelforum.com/onlineindex

Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc. www.subtelforum.com/corporate-information BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Margaret Nielsen, Wayne Nielsen and Kristian Nielsen SubTel Forum Continuing Education, Division of Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc. www.subtelforum.com/education CONTINUING EDUCATION DIRECTOR: Kristian Nielsen | knielsen@subtelforum.com | [+1] (703) 444-0845

Contributions are welcomed and should be forwarded to: pressroom@subtelforum.com.

Submarine Telecoms Forum magazine is published bimonthly by Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc., and is an independent commercial publication, serving as a freely accessible forum for professionals in industries connected with submarine optical fiber technologies and techniques. Submarine Telecoms Forum may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the permission of the publishers.

Liability: While every care is taken in preparation of this publication, the publishers cannot be held

responsible for the accuracy of the information herein, or any errors which may occur in advertising or editorial content, or any consequence arising from any errors or omissions, and the editor reserves the right to edit any advertising or editorial material submitted for publication.

New Subscriptions, Enquiries and Changes of Address: 21495 Ridgetop Circle, Suite 201, Sterling, Virginia 20166, USA, or call [+1] (703) 444-0845, fax [+1] (703) 349-5562, or visit www.subtelforum.com.

Copyright © 2023 Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc.

IN THIS FORUM ISSUE

SUBMARINE TELECOMS

ISSUE 133 | NOVEMBER 2023

PTC’24 28

4 QUESTIONS WITH BRIAN MOON

38

F E AT U R E S

SUBSEA CABLES AND THE MOST EXPLOSIVE VOLCANIC ERUPTION THIS CENTURY

By Michael Clare

44

THE ROLE OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT IN DATA CENTERS

By David Korede

4 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

31

PTC’24 SUBMARINE CABLE EVENTS

47

ADVANCING SUBMARINE CABLE PROJECT MANAGEMENT

By Kristian Nielsen and Greg Reinecke

52

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF TERRESTRIAL BACKHAUL NETWORKS TO END-TO-END SUBMARINE NETWORK SERVICES

By Brian Lavallée, Richard Norris, Darwin Evans, Sergejs Markovejs, Lidia Galdino, and Pascal Pecci

anniversary

59

SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEMS: CAPACITY, CONNECTIVITY AND BANDWIDTH: PART 1

By Derek Cassidy

63

SANCTITY IN PERIL

By Devon A. Johnson

ISSUE

THANKS TO ALL OUR OUTSTANDING AUTHORS THANKS TO ALL OUR OUTSTANDING SPONSORS NAVIGATING UNCHARTED WATERS

76 81 84

D E PA R T M E N T S EXORDIUM............................................................2

69

THE FUTURE OF SUBSEA CABLES

By Alex Vaxmonsky

SUBTELFORUM.COM..............................................6 CABLE MAP UPDATE..............................................8 SUSTAINABLE SUBSEA...........................................9 WHERE IN THE WORLD.........................................14 STF ANALYTICS....................................................20 BACK REFLECTION...............................................88

72

PROTECTING THE MARITIME BACKBONE OF SOCIETY IS A MATTER OF URGENCY

LEGAL & REGULATORY MATTERS...........................94 ON THE MOVE......................................................98 SUBMARINE CABLE NEWS NOW...........................99 ADVERTISER CORNER.........................................100

By Mathias Balling NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 5

SubTelForum.com

VisitSubTelForum.com SubTelForum.com to to find find links resources Visit linkstotothe thefollowing following resources

FREERESOURCES RESOURCESFOR FORALL ALLOUR OUR SUBTELFORUM.COM SUBTELFORUM.COM READERS FREE READERS The most popular articles, Q&As of 2022.

TOP OFyou 2019 FindSTORIES out what missed!

The most popular articles, Q&As of 2019. Find out what you NEWSmissed!

NOW RSS FEED Keep on top of our world of coverage with our free News NEWSdaily NOW industry RSS FEEDupdate. News Now is a daily RSS feed Now Keep on top of our world of coverage with our freehighNews of news applicable to the submarine cable industry, Now daily industry update.

News Now is a daily RSS&feed lighting Cable Faults & Maintenance, Conferences As-of news applicable to the submarine industry, highlighting sociations, Current Systems, Datacable Centers, Future Systems, Cable Faults & Maintenance, Associations, Offshore Energy, State of the Conferences Industry and&Technology & Current Systems, Data Centers, Future Systems, Offshore Upgrades.

Energy, State of the Industry and Technology & Upgrades.

PUBLICATIONS PUBLICATIONS Submarine Cable Almanac is a free quarterly publica-

Submarine Cablethrough Almanacdiligent is a freedata quarterly publication made available gathering and tion madeefforts available through diligent data gathering and mapping by the analysts at SubTel Forum Analytics,

6 SUBMARINE TELECOMS MAGAZINE

a division of Submarine Telecoms Forum. This reference mapping analysts at SubTel Forum Analytics, tool givesefforts detailsby onthe cable systems including a system map, a division of Submarine Telecoms Forum.

This reference landing points, system capacity, length, RFS year and other tool givesdata. details on cable systems including a system map, valuable landing points,Telecoms system capacity, and free other Submarine Industrylength, ReportRFS is anyear annual valuable data. publication with analysis of data collected by the analysts of Submarine Report is an annualanalyfree SubTel ForumTelecoms Analytics,Industry including system capacity publication of data collected by the of analysts of sis, as well aswith the analysis actual productivity and outlook current SubTel Forum Analytics, including system capacity and planned systems and the companies that serviceanalythem. sis, as well as the actual productivity and outlook of current and planned CABLE MAP systems and the companies that service them.

The online SubTel Cable Map is built with the industry CABLE MAP standard Esri ArcGIS platform and linked to the SubTel The online SubTel Cable Map is built withthe theprogress industryof Forum Submarine Cable Database.

It tracks standard Esri ArcGIS platform and linked to the SubTel some 450+ current and planned cable systems, more than Forumlanding Submarine Cable It centers, tracks the of 1,200 points, overDatabase.

1,700 data 37 progress cable ships

as well as mobile subscriptions and internet accessibility data for 254 countries. Systems are also linked to SubTel Forum's News Now Feed, allowing viewing of current and archived news details.

The printed Cable Map is an annual publication showcasing the world's submarine fiber systems beautifully drawn on a large format map and mailed to SubTel Forum Readership and/or distributed during Pacific Telecommunications Conference in January each year.

CONTINUING EDUCATION

SubTel Forum designs educational courses and master classes that can then appear at industry conferences around the world. Classes are presented on a variety of topics dealing with key industry technical, business, or commercial issues.

See what classes SubTel Forum is accrediting in support of the next generation of leaders in our industry.

AUTHORS INDEX

The Authors Index is a reference source to help readers locate magazine articles and authors on various subjects.

SUBTEL FORUM BESPOKE REPORTS SubTel Forum provides industry analyses focused on a variety of topics. Our individualized reporting can provide industry insight for a perspective sale, business expansion or simply to assist in making solid business decisions and industry projections. We strive to make reporting easy to understand and keep the industry jargon to a minimum as we know not everyone who will see them are experts in submarine telecoms.

In the past we have provided analyses pertaining to a number of topics and are not limited to those listed below.

Reach out to info@subtelforum.com to learn more about our bespoke reports.

DATA CENTER & OTT PROVIDERS: Details the increasingly shrinking divide between the cable landing station and the backhaul to interconnection services in order to maximize network efficiency throughout, bringing once disparate infrastructure into a single facility.

If you are interested in the world of Data Centers and its impact on Submarine Cables, this reporting is for you.

GLOBAL CAPACITY PRICING: Details historic and current capacity pricing for regional routes (Transatlantic, Transpacific, Americas, Intra-Asia and EMEA), delivering a comprehensive look at the global capacity pricing status of the submarine fiber industry.

Capacity pricing trends and forecasting simplified.

GLOBAL OUTLOOK: Dive into the health and wellness of the global submarine telecoms market, with regional analysis and forecasting. This reporting gives an overview of planned systems, CIF and project completion rates, state of supplier activity and potential disruptive factors facing the market.

OFFSHORE ENERGY: Provides a detailed overview of the offshore oil & gas sector of the submarine fiber industry and covers system owners, system suppliers and various market trends. This reporting details how the industry is focusing on trends and new technologies to increase efficiency and automation as a key strategy to reduce cost and maintain margins, and its impact on the demand for new offshore fiber systems.

REGIONAL SYSTEMS: Drill down into the Regional Systems market, including focused analysis on the Transatlantic, Transpacific, EMEA, AustralAsia, Indian Ocean Pan-East Asian and Arctic regions. This reporting details the impact of increasing capacity demands on regional routes and contrasts potential overbuild concerns with the rapid pace of system development and the factors driving development demand.

SUBMARINE CABLE DATASET: Details more than 450 fiber optic cable systems, including physical aspects, cost, owners, suppliers, landings, financiers, component manufacturers, marine contractors, etc. STF

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 7

SUBTEL CABLE MAP UPDATES

T

he SubTel Cable Map, built on the industry-leading Esri ArcGIS platform, offers a dynamic and engaging way to explore over 440 current and planned cable systems, 50+ cable ships, and more than 1,000 landing points. This interactive tool is linked to the SubTel Forum Submarine Cable Database, providing users with a comprehensive view of the industry.

Submarine cables play a pivotal role in global communications, acting as the backbone of the internet. They are responsible for transmitting over 99% of all international data, connecting continents and enabling global connectivity. Without these underwater highways, the speed and efficiency of global internet communication that we enjoy today would not be possible.

The Esri ArcGIS platform, upon which the SubTel Cable Map is built, is a powerful geographic information system (GIS) for working with maps and geographic information. It is used for creating and using maps, compiling geographic data, analyzing mapped information, sharing and discovering geographic information, and using maps and geographic information in a range of applications. Its robust capabilities make it an ideal platform for the SubTel Cable Map, allowing for dynamic, interactive exploration of complex data.

With systems connected to SubTel Forum’s News Now Feed, users can easily view current and archived news details related to each system. This interactive map is an ongoing effort, updated frequently with valuable data collected by SubTel Forum analysts and insightful feedback from our users. Our aim is to provide not only data from the Submarine Cable Almanac, but also to incorporate additional layers of system information for a comprehensive view of the industry.

We encourage you to explore the SubTel Cable Map to deepen your understanding of the industry and to educate others on the critical role that submarine cable systems play in global communications. All submarine cable data for the Online Cable Map is sourced from the public domain, and we’re committed to keeping the information as current as

possible. If you are the point of contact for a company or system that needs updating, please don’t hesitate to reach out to kclark@subtelforum.com.

Below is the full list of systems added and updated since the last issue of the magazine:

NOVEMBER 13, 2023 SYSTEMS ADDED: • CPC • Nuvem

SYSTEMS UPDATED: • Humboldt • ACC-1 • Anjana • Apricot • Bifrost • CSN-1 • Gold Data 1 • Hawaiki Nui

We hope the SubTel Cable Map serves as a valuable resource to you and invites you to dive into the ever-evolving world of submarine cable systems. We invite you to start your exploration today and see firsthand the intricate network that powers our global communications. Happy exploring! STF KIERAN CLARK is the Lead Analyst for SubTel Forum. He originally joined SubTel Forum in 2013 as a Broadcast Technician to provide support for live event video streaming.

He has 6+ years of live production experience and has worked alongside some of the premier organizations in video web streaming. In 2014, Kieran was promoted to Analyst and is currently responsible for the research and maintenance that supports the Submarine Cable Database. In 2016, he was promoted to Lead Analyst and his analysis is featured in almost the entire array of Subtel Forum Publications.

Do you have further questions on this topic?

ASK AN EXPERT

SUBTELFORUM.COM/CABLEMAP 8 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

• SAEx West • SEA-H2X • SING • TOPAZ

SUBSEA WHAT DOES GREENHOUSE GAS REGULATION MEAN FOR MARINE OPERATIONS?

A Look at the International Maritime Organization and the European Commission’s New Requirements

BY GEORGE N. RAMÍREZ AND NICOLE STAROSIELSKI

T

he subsea cable industry spans nations, companies, and industries, which all come together in pursuit of a shared goal: establishing connectivity across the oceans. However, this global and sectoral reach means that the subsea industry will also face greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regulation on many fronts. National governments may set policies and reporting requirements that affect manufacturers or cable landing station operations.

Local and regional entities, ranging from the U.S. state of California to the European Commission, are also discussing GHG reduction efforts, and these may in turn impact the subsea cable permitting and development. Although the subsea cable industry has experience navigating a complicated regulatory landscape, GHG-related requirements will add a new layer to this complexity.

In this column from the SubOptic Foundation’s Sustainable Subsea Networks research initiative, we describe one area where GHG regulation will directly impact the industry: marine operations. The cable industry’s marine operations encompass a wide variety of activities, from surveying the seafloor to cable installation to recovery at end-of-life. The industry’s vessels are subject to the regulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Depending on where

companies operate in the world and the certifications they acquire, vessels are also subject to other regulations, including those of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Commission. As the IMO, the United States, and the European Union set their sights on climate change, marine operators will be affected.

Vessel owners are already working on strategies to meet future sustainability targets. These include the use of shore power, which allows for vessels to transition to the onshore electrical grid while at port. Some companies are undertaking advanced

voyage optimization strategies that leverage artificial intelligence and the tidal power of the seas. Others are retrofitting ships with power assistance technologies. There are many companies that already track their CO2 emissions using the GHG Protocol. Some also disclose these emissions through the CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project) and commit to targets using the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi).

This article covers some recent and upcoming GHG regulations of the IMO and the European Commission, and discusses how these may affect NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 9

SUBSEA marine operations. Our research team consulted with vessel owners globally, including Alcatel Submarine Networks, NTT-WEM, and others, to hear their opinions about regulatory shifts. We found that the future impact of these new climate policies remains unclear. In part, this is due to the fact that many GHG regulations in the marine space are not created specifically for the subsea cable industry. Instead, they are primarily designed for international shipping.

While many individual marine operators have been moving toward a more sustainable fleet, shared insights and conversation about sustainability will enhance readiness for larger regulatory shifts. To support this effort, we encourage vessel owners to reach out to us and share their perspectives.

THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION’S GLOBAL GHG POLICY

The International Maritime Organization’s policies affect vessels responsible for installing, maintaining, and recovering cable systems around the world. Since the 1978 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the IMO has focused efforts on minimizing pollution in the marine environment. Annex VI of the MARPOL Protocol limits the amount of emissions from ship exhausts, prohibits the emission of substances that can harm the environment, and sets standards for noxious particulate matter.

Initially, the IMO did not take GHG emissions into consideration.

This changed in the late 1990s, with the adoption of Conference Resolution 8 on CO2 emissions. At

this point, the IMO was invited to undertake a study of CO2 emissions from ships. Several years later, in 2003, the IMO Assembly adopted resolution A.963(23) on policies and practices related to the reduction of GHG emissions. By 2011, the IMO had implemented mandatory energy efficiency measures to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions, with two key tools, the Energy Efficiency Design Index and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan entering into force by 2013. In the past decade, there have been several IMO resolutions and agreements on emissions reduction, each stronger than the previous ones.

The most recent of these is the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships. This policy, which came into effect at the

Figure 1. Image credit: International Maritime Organization, https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/Pages/Historic-Background.aspx)

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start of 2023, sets a target to reach net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping by 2050. The strategy was developed to reduce the carbon intensity of vessels by at least 40% by 2030 and by at least 70%, ideally 80%, by 2040, compared to 2008.

The 2023 IMO Strategy requires all ships to calculate not only their energy efficiency (which had long been a subject of tracking) but also their carbon intensity. The Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), a relatively recent metric introduced two years ago, describes the grams of CO2 emitted per cargo-carrying capacity and nautical mile. Depending on their performance, vessels receive individual ratings of A, B, C, D, and E. Beginning in 2024, owners of vessels 5,000 gross tonnage and above must calculate the CII and report it to the IMO’s Data Collection System. These ratings will become more stringent over time and poorly rated ships are required to implement a corrective plan.

A key tool in this corrective plan is the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP). While the first part of the SEEMP, a management plan to improve energy efficiency, had long been required for all ships above 400 GT, the SEEMP’s third part now directly connects to the CII. If a ship rates poorly, vessel owners must complete a plan to improve the CII in order to be compliant.

While the details of these regulations are beyond the scope of this article, the key take-away is that the IMO is now defining and managing carbon emissions directly within its regulatory framework. Cable ship owners are subject to regulation that requires measuring, reporting, and reducing carbon intensity. In order to meet the increasingly stringent requirements,

vessels will eventually need to adopt the use of zero or near-zero carbon emissions technologies, fuels, and/or energy sources. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report argues that, to meet this requirement, “Scaling up investment in new ships (design, engines, onboard

The 2023 IMO Strategy requires all ships to calculate not only their energy efficiency (which had long been a subject of tracking) but also their carbon intensity. The Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), a relatively recent metric introduced two years ago, describes the grams of CO2 emitted per cargo-carrying capacity and nautical mile. technologies, crew skills), energy supply and bunkering infrastructure (i.e. alternative fuels availability and supply through dedicated and adequate production, bunkering facilities, and storage) is crucial” (85).

These regulations, however, have been critiqued by many who argue that they will not be sufficient to reduce carbon emissions–and indeed, they do not even cover all GHG emissions.

Moreover, they do not “reflect the technical or operational state of a ves-

sel, differences in weather conditions, or time spent in port.” Some vessel owners commented to us that their internal policies were much more aggressive, currently on track to surpass IMO requirements, and they had no concern about the new regulations. Others commented that they were not sure where the funding would come from to build a net-zero fleet in line with the IMO’s targets. One operator observed that the transition to alternative fuels and technologies would be pioneered outside the industry: “we will consider which option is desirable after determining what the de facto standard in the shipping industry will be.”

MORE AGGRESSIVE REGULATIONS FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

The European Commission has also set targets and standards for the emissions produced by ships. Their framework has included the MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) Maritime Regulation since 2015, with the first reporting period in 2018.

This regulation requires any ships over 5,000 gross tonnage loading/unloading either cargo or passengers at ports in the European Economic Area to monitor and report their GHG emissions, and this applies to all ships regardless of flag state.

In January of 2024, there will be a significant shift in the European Commission’s framework. Building on the provisions of the MRV Maritime Regulation, all large ships entering EU ports will soon be subject to the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). This means that vessel owners will have to purchase and use EU ETS emission allowances for every tonne of reported CO2 (or CO2 equivalent) emissions. While companies only have to use allowances for a portion NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 11

SUBSEA of their emissions at the outset of the program, the shift is in essence the initiation of a cap-and-trade program for vessels.

Maritime industry experts have acknowledged that the newest European Union regulations are much stricter than IMO. The EU’s Fit for 55 package aims to reduce GHG emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, a much more aggressive target than the IMO. While the IMO is encouraging vessel operators to take up alternative fuels, the EU will require the exclusion of fossil fuels completely. There are also direct requirements for shore power. Revenues will be generated through penalties for ships that do not meet these goals. Although these laws are quite strict, operators will also be able to partake in a voluntary pooling mechanism where “ships will be allowed to pool their compliance balance with one or more other ships, with the pool as a whole having to meet the greenhouse gas intensity limits on average.”

REGULATORY IMPACT ON THE CABLE INDUSTRY: AN OPEN QUESTION

Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) has been carefully tracking the recent and upcoming regulations of the IMO and the European Commission. Staying ahead of these regulatory changes and gaining expertise in these matters is beneficial not only for ASN, but for the industry as a whole. While the IMO policies are in effect globally, many ships from all flag states will be subject to these new regulations if they enter port in Europe. Given that these regulations are more aggressive, the Armateurs de France, which brings together

12 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

all French maritime and shipping companies, has recommended that companies operating in Europe follow European Union regulations.

Not all vessels in the subsea cable industry, however, will be impacted by these regulations in the near

Maritime industry experts have acknowledged that the newest European Union regulations are much stricter than IMO. The EU’s Fit for 55 package aims to reduce GHG emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, a much more aggressive target than the IMO. term. Submarine cable recovery and recycling specialist Mertech Marine’s fleet is of a class that will not be subject to the new regulations in their current form, and yet the company is still pursuing various initiatives to ensure sustainable practices in fleet operations. They, too, have observed that the EU ETS is a trending topic among existing initiatives to monitor and reduce emissions in global shipping. There is still some uncertainty, the company observed, about the application of this system in practice to the subsea cable industry.

While the IMO and European

Commission are facilitating a transition of marine vessels towards sustainability, there are issues that arise in their implementation within the subsea industry. One of the biggest implications of the EU regulations is that they will differentially affect cable ships according to region of operation.

The EU’s Fit for 55 legislative package will impact all large ships, including cable ships, that stop at European ports. As a result, this introduces a new distribution of power and potential economic impact to operating in European waters and ports.

Take for example the following scenario: when going from Port A in Europe to Port B in Europe, vessels will have to report and use EU ETS emission allowances for 100% of their fuel consumption. However, if a ship starts off at a European port and finishes their voyage at another non-European port, they will only need to report and use emission allowances for 50% of the fuel consumption. If a vessel operates in EU waters but doesn’t enter a port at all, they will not need to follow the EU regulations, report their emissions, or use emission allowances. How will this affect the economics of marine operations in European waters? Will it raise the cost of doing business in Europe?

Will that have follow-on implications for the industry, or for security? What about transitional stops?

One concern for the subsea cable industry is that these policies, from both the IMO and the European Commission, weren’t created specifically for cable ships. They are instead primarily designed for the regulation of international shipping, which operates very differently than the cable industry. In the case above, the form

of reporting and use of allowances are based on the norms of shipping (Port A to Port B), there is no specification of what would occur for cable vessels (who might go from Port A to Port A).

Other potential issues include the fact that, while the measurement for kilotons of CO2 emissions per mile may be an appropriate indicator for transporting cargo, one operator pointed out to us that it may not be appropriate for cable laying vessels working on installations or standing by in rough weather. This vessel owner suggested that perhaps there be an establishment of a metric such as watts per kilotons of CO2. They asked: is there a way to more accurately measure the effective output for scenarios of cable laying and waiting?

Positively, these regulations could promote greener and more competitive fleets. It is yet unclear, however, what support the European Union will provide in this transition.

LOOKING FORWARD: MODELS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

To achieve IMO and European Commission targets, vessel owners will have to advance an array of technical solutions, many of which are underway. However, it is also critical to develop conversations across the industry around standards, metrics, and sustainable practices.

Some of our interviewees suggested that, in order to craft more appropriate metrics, the industry might look to ships used for offshore oil rigs or offshore power generation plants.

Others suggested that the industry might take inspiration from organizations that have begun the process of adaptation. As one example, after the recent amendments to the IMO were

announced, the South Korean shipping industry re-examined the country’s 2030 Greenship-K initiative, aimed to bolster the ship building and shipping industries. A research study investigated the impact of the IMO regulations on over 100 vessels in the Korean container fleet (Ahn et al. 2023). From this study, the LNG fuel retrofit was cited as the most favorable to meet IMO regulation because of how it could be adapted to EEXI and CII. The study

Some of our interviewees suggested that, in order to craft more appropriate metrics, the industry might look to ships used for offshore oil rigs or offshore power generation plants. also found that more than half of the country’s existing container fleet would need to be replaced by new vessels before 2030, an increase in waste which would also be harmful for the environment. Does there need to be a similar study of cable ships that can recognize the potential best solutions specifically tailored for the industry’s needs?

As another relevant example, the Poseidon Principles Association, first launched in 2019 in response to the 2018 IMO changes, has adjusted their targets in light of the amended IMO standards. The organization focuses on transparency for evaluating and reporting GHG emissions that align

with climate-related objectives. While the IMO’s EEXI and CII aim solely to report as a means to track their emissions over time, the Principles provide their signatories with the added benefit of data-driven insights.

A broader and collective discussion of these regulations, potential models, and possible metrics across the subsea cable industry would be beneficial for all. We invite you to join us in this conversation. **This document is an output from the Sustainable Subsea Networks research initiative, funded by the Internet Society Foundation. STF NICOLE STAROSIELSKI is Associate Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at NYU. Dr. Starosielski’s research focuses on the history of the cable industry and the social aspects of submarine cable construction and maintenance. She is author of The Undersea Network (2015), which examines the cultural and environmental dimensions of transoceanic cable systems, beginning with the telegraph cables that formed the first global communications network and extending to the fiber-optic infrastructure. Starosielski has published over forty essays and is author or editor of five books on media, communications technology, and the environment.

She is co-convener of SubOptic’s Global Citizen Working Group and a principal investigator on the SubOptic Foundation’s Sustainable Subsea Networks research initiative GEORGE N. RAMÍREZ is a PhD candidate in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University, where his work focuses on sensation and performance in Latinx popular culture.

Do you have further questions on this topic?

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NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 13

WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE THOSE PESKY CABLESHIPS?

BY SYEDA HUMERA

SUBMARINE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY REPORT: NAVIGATING THE DEPTHS OF CONNECTIVITY IN 2023 INTRODUCTION

In today’s interconnected world, the submarine telecommunications industry serves as a crucial enabler of the digital age. Submarine cables, akin to the lifelines of our global communication network, traverse the vast ocean floors, ensuring the seamless flow of data, voice, and video across borders. This report embarks on a comprehensive exploration of the intricacies, challenges, and opportunities that define the ever-evolving landscape of submarine telecommunications.

THE UNDERSEA WEB

Visualize a complex web, not woven by spiders but by the ingenuity of engineers and visionaries. This invisible web spans the ocean’s depths, connecting nations, businesses, and individuals. Submarine cables, often as slender as a garden hose, serve as the threads of this undersea web, transmitting the vital pulse of our modern civilization—data.

KEY FINDINGS AND TRENDS

Unrelenting Growth: The insatiable demand for data continues to propel exponential growth within the submarine telecommunications industry. Bandwidth and connectivity needs have soared to unprecedented levels, reflecting the ever-increasing reliance on digital communication.

Geopolitical Significance: Submarine cables have evolved into strategic assets, prompting nations to vie for control

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and security in an increasingly digital world. The geopolitical landscape is deeply influenced by the quest for dominance in undersea connectivity.

Environmental Considerations: Acknowledging the imperative of sustainability, the industry is actively exploring ways to minimize its environmental footprint and safeguard marine ecosystems. Environmental responsibility has become a significant focus amid the industry’s expansion.

THE CARTOGRAPHY OF CONNECTIVITY

Maps: Navigating the Subsea Landscape in 2023 Maps serve as more than geographical representations; they act as portals into the intricate network of submarine cables crisscrossing the globe. Understanding this cartogra-

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phy is essential for grasping the industry’s expansive reach and influence in the present year.

Timeline Visualization: Charting the Digital Evolution Through 2023 Timelines reveal the industry’s ongoing evolution, marking milestones from the first transatlantic cable to the latest advancements. Each timeline entry signifies a triumph of human ingenuity, showcasing the continuous progress of undersea connectivity.

Line Chart: Mapping Data’s Unceasing Flow in 2023 Line charts vividly illustrate the unyielding flow of data through submarine cables. The upward trajectory is a compelling testament to humanity’s unquenchable thirst for connectivity, capturing the relentless pace of data transmission in the current year.

This report provides an updated and detailed exploration of the submarine telecommunications industry in 2023, shedding light on its growth, geopolitical significance, environmental initiatives, and the intricate cartography that underpins global connectivity.

MONTHLY AVERAGE AIS.SPEED ANALYSIS OVERVIEW

In our analysis of SPEED data over the course of a year, we uncovered compelling insights into the variations and trends in vessel speed. The data revealed that July emerged as the month with the highest average SPEED, reaching an impressive 3.03. In contrast, October recorded the lowest average SPEED at a modest 2.06. This stark contrast between the two months signifies a significant 47.15% difference.

KEY OBSERVATIONS

July: The Speed Champion The month of July stands out as the speed champion, with an average SPEED of 3.03. This peak performance reflects the efficiency and swiftness of vessels during this period.

October: The Speed Laggard In stark contrast, October experienced the lowest average SPEED at 2.06. This sluggish pace indicates a notable slowdown in vessel speeds during this month.

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CABLESHIPS Average of SPEED and DRAUGHT by Ship

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Our analysis spanned all 12 months, revealing that the average SPEED ranged from a minimum of 2.06 in October to a maximum of 3.03 in July. This range demonstrates the seasonal variations in vessel speed throughout the year.

emerged as the leader, boasting the highest Count at 3,342.

In contrast, the status “Not Under Command” recorded the lowest Count with a modest 5. This stark contrast represents a staggering 66,740.00% difference, emphasizing the diverse nature of vessel states.

CONCLUSION

KEY OBSERVATIONS:

Understanding the monthly variations in SPEED is crucial for optimizing vessel operations, route planning, and resource allocation. While July races ahead as the fastest month, October invites a more measured approach. By considering these fluctuations, industry stakeholders can make informed decisions to enhance efficiency and adapt to changing conditions.

This analysis not only sheds light on the speed dynamics across the year but also underscores the significance of data-driven insights in optimizing maritime operations.

BAR CHART: PEAKS AND TROUGHS OF BANDWIDTH DEMAND ANALYSIS BY COUNT OF OBJECTID*

Overview: In our in-depth analysis of Navigation status data, we observed significant variations in the AIS Entries across different categories. Notably, the status “Moored”

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Moored: The Dominant Force The status “Moored” stands out as the dominant force, with a remarkable Count of 3,342. This category accounts for a substantial 33.25% of the total AIS Entries, signifying its prevalence in the dataset.

NOT UNDER COMMAND: THE UNDERREPRESENTED

In contrast, the status “Not Under Command” lags with the lowest AIS Entries at 5. This category represents a relatively small portion of the dataset and highlights a significant contrast with the dominant status “Moored.”

RANGE ACROSS ALL CATEGORIES

Our analysis encompassed all 6 Navigation Status categories, revealing a broad range in the AIS Entries from a minimum of 5 in “Not Under Command” to a maximum of

14

AIS.NAME by AIS.NAME and AIS.DESTINATION

Power BI Desktop

CLICK THE IMAGE TO GO TO THE INTERACTIVE VERSION OF THE NETWORK GRAPH

3,342 in “Moored.” This range underscores the diversity of vessel states and activities captured in the dataset.

CONCLUSION

Understanding the distribution of vessel states across Navigation status categories is crucial for various applications, including maritime safety, navigation, and traffic management. The dominance of the “Moored” status highlights its prevalence and significance in the dataset, while the underrepresentation of “Not Under Command” calls for a closer examination of vessels falling into this category.

Update: At 3,342, “Moored” had the highest AIS Entries, a notable 66,740.00% higher than “Not Under Command,” which had the lowest Count of AIS Entries at 5. “Moored” accounted for 33.25% of the total AIS Entries. Across all 6 Navigation Status, Count of AIS Entries ranged from 5 to 3,342.

SCATTER CHART: POINTS OF CONNECTION SCATTER PLOT ANALYSIS: SPEED VS. DRAUGHT

Overview: Our analysis focused on two remarkable ves-

sels: POLARIS 3 and ILE DE RE. These vessels stood out with the highest average SPEED and DRAUGHT, respectively. In this scatter plot analysis, we explore the relationship between SPEED and DRAUGHT for these vessels.

KEY OBSERVATIONS:

POLARIS 3: Speed Champion POLARIS 3 exhibited the highest average SPEED at an impressive 12.61. This vessel’s data points on the scatter plot are likely to be towards the higher end of the SPEED axis, indicating its remarkable speed.

ILE DE RE: Draught Leader ILE DE RE, on the other hand, recorded the highest average DRAUGHT at 9.06. Its data points on the scatter plot are expected to be towards the higher end of the DRAUGHT axis, showcasing its substantial draught.

SCATTER PLOT INSIGHTS:

Relationship Analysis: By examining the data points on the scatter plot, we can identify any potential correlations or patterns between SPEED and DRAUGHT for these vessels.

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 17

CABLESHIPS Navigation Status Increase

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Outliers: Outliers in the scatter plot may provide additional insights into exceptional instances of speed or draught for these vessels.

CONCLUSION

This scatter plot analysis allows us to visualize and explore the relationship between SPEED and DRAUGHT for POLARIS 3 and ILE DE RE. While POLARIS 3 excels in speed, ILE DE RE leads in draught, showcasing the diverse characteristics of vessels in our dataset.

Understanding such vessel-specific attributes is vital for maritime operations, route planning, and decision-making.

This analysis offers a glimpse into the unique qualities of these vessels and their potential implications in the maritime industry.

6. NETWORK GRAPH: THE COMPLEX WEB

Network graphs unveil the intricate connections between cable systems, revealing the interdependence that underpins global communication.

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NAVIGATION STATUS

NETWORK GRAPH ANALYSIS: SOURCES AND DESTINATIONS INTRODUCTION

The network graph presented in this report aims to provide a visual representation of the relationships between different sources and their corresponding destinations.

This analysis is essential for understanding the patterns of connections and interactions in a complex system, such as transportation, data flow, or supply chains.

Data Collection and Preparation The dataset used for this analysis includes information on various sources and their associated destinations.

Sources and destinations can represent a range of entities, from airports and cities in transportation networks to data centers and endpoints in telecommunications.

NETWORK GRAPH VISUALIZATION NETWORK GRAPH: THE COMPLEX WEB NETWORK GRAPH ANALYSIS: SOURCES AND DESTINATIONS

Introduction: The network graph presented in this report aims to provide a visual representation of the relationships between different sources and their corresponding destinations. This analysis is essential for un-

derstanding the patterns of connections and interactions in a complex system, such as transportation, data flow, or supply chains.

Data Collection and Preparation: The dataset used for this analysis includes information on various sources and their associated destinations. Sources and destinations can represent a range of entities, from airports and cities in transportation networks to data centers and endpoints in telecommunications.

Network Graph Visualization: The network graph below illustrates the connections between sources (nodes) and their destinations (edges). The size of the nodes and the thickness of the edges are proportional to the frequency or significance of connections.

KEY INSIGHTS:

Hubs and Connectivity: In the network graph, some sources and destinations serve as hubs with numerous connections. These hubs play a crucial role in facilitating connectivity within the system.

The degree centrality of nodes (sources or destinations) can be used to identify the most connected entities. High-degree nodes are potential hubs.

PATTERNS OF FLOW:

Analyzing the directionality of edges can reveal patterns of flow. For example, in transportation networks, arrows may indicate the direction of travel from source to destination. The presence of bidirectional edges suggests mutual interactions between sources and destinations.

CLUSTERING AND COMMUNITIES:

The network may exhibit clusters or communities of sources and destinations that have stronger connections within their groups than with entities outside of their clusters. Detecting and analyzing such clusters can provide insights into the structure and organization of the system.

Practical Applications: Understanding the network of sources and destinations has several practical applications: Optimization: Identifying hubs and high-traffic routes can help optimize resource allocation and logistics.

Resilience Planning: Analyzing network connectivity aids in resilience planning by identifying critical nodes and potential vulnerabilities.

Route Planning: In transportation networks, this analysis can inform route planning for efficiency and reduced congestion.

CONCLUSION

The network graph of sources and destinations provides a valuable visual representation of the connectivity and relationships within a complex system. By analyzing this graph, we gain insights into hubs, flow patterns, and potential communities within the network.

This analysis serves as a foundation for making informed decisions, optimizing operations, and enhancing the resilience of the system. As we continue to navigate and understand complex systems, network graph analysis remains an indispensable tool for uncovering hidden patterns and connections.

CONCLUSION

The submarine telecommunications industry stands as a testament to the remarkable connectivity that defines our modern world. It serves not only as an enabler of global communication but also as a symbolic bridge that spans across continents, fostering trade and uniting individuals separated by vast oceans. Despite its pivotal role, this industry grapples with a spectrum of challenges, from geopolitical intricacies to environmental considerations.

Embarking on a journey of exploration, this report sets sail into the intricate depths of the submarine telecommunications realm. Its mission is to unravel the complexities, acknowledge the industry’s triumphs, and plot a course toward an era where connectivity transcends limitations.

As we navigate through the pages of this report, we extend an invitation to join us on this odyssey. Together, we will delve into the concealed world of undersea cables, where cutting-edge technology converges with the boundless expanses of the world’s oceans. Through this collective voyage, we aim to unearth the industry’s secrets, comprehend its profound significance, and illuminate the path forward in this age of limitless connectivity. STF SYEDA HUMERA, a graduate from JNTUH and Central Michigan University, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Science and a Master’s degree in Computer Science. She has practical experience as a Software Developer at ALM Software Solutions, India, where she honed her skills in MLflow, JavaScript, GCP, Docker, DevOps, and more. Her expertise includes Data Visualization, Scikit-Learn, Databases, Ansible, Data Analytics, AI, and Programming.

Having completed her Master’s degree, Humera is now poised to apply her comprehensive skills and knowledge in the field of computer science.

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 19

ANALYTICS [Reprinted from SubTel Forum 2023/2024 Submarine Industry Report]

HYPERSCALERS

H

yperscalers like Amazon, Facebook, Google, and to some extent, Microsoft, have evolved from merely purchasing capacity to owning entire submarine cable systems. These tech giants are not just influencing the routes of these cables but are also spearheading innovations within the systems themselves. From advanced transmission technologies for higher-capacity wavelengths to increased fiber counts for greater overall system capacity, Hyperscalers are at the forefront of technological advancements. They are also advocating for open systems, which leads to shared system architectures, further democratizing the submarine cable landscape.

The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst for cloud adoption across diverse industries. Companies had to adapt quickly to remote work environments, leading to unprecedented spending on Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions like Microsoft 365, DocuSign, and Dropbox, as well as private cloud options. This surge in demand was documented in a 2022 report by Flexera, highlighting the critical role of cloud services during the pandemic. (Flexera, 2022) Another paradigm shift introduced by Hyperscalers is the transition from city-to-city connections to data center-to-data center links. Unlike traditional cable owners, these tech giants prioritize locations that offer economic advantages and cost-saving benefits, thereby minimizing the operational expenses of their data centers. The entry

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of a major Hyperscaler into a region not only enhances the telecom infrastructure but also introduces a range of cloud services, further enriching the local digital ecosystem.

CURRENT SYSTEMS IMPACTED

The landscape of submarine cable ownership underwent a seismic shift in 2016 when Hyperscalers like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook entered the scene. These tech behemoths have such intricate infrastructure needs that owning their own cable systems has become more advantageous than merely purchasing capacity.

The surge in capacity demand has posed challenges for telecom companies, ISPs, and Hyperscalers alike. The upper echelons of many markets are now dominated by these Hyperscalers, who have become pivotal stakeholders requiring massive bandwidth between their global data centers.

For the period spanning 2019 to 2023, Hyperscalers have been the driving force behind 24 systems, accounting for 23.5% of the 102 total systems that went into service. This marks a significant increase from the previous year, where they drove 18% of the systems. In 2023 alone, Hyperscaler-driven systems are expected to account for a substantial portion of all new system builds.

Several factors have contributed to Hyperscalers like

Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook taking on this pivotal role. One key event that served as a wake-up call was Hurricane Sandy’s impact on New Jersey, USA, in 2012—a major cable landing hub.

The storm caused extensive damage, leading to a massive loss of connectivity to Europe and resulting in millions of dollars in lost business. This incident underscored the need for increased route diversity and more direct control over critical infrastructure, thereby accelerating the surge of Hyperscaler-backed submarine cable systems.

The exponential growth of major Hyperscalers has led to a situation where their bandwidth requirements are outstripping the available supply. Previously, these companies would purchase bandwidth from traditional carriers, but the pace of their growth has made this approach inefficient. Now, they are opting to build their own submarine cable systems. This shift offers multiple advantages. First, it gives them greater control over their assets, allowing them to manage bandwidth according to their specific needs. Second, it eliminates the need to compete with other carriers and businesses for limited capacity circuits.

Owning and operating their own infrastructure has streamlined the process of increasing capacity.

In the past, purchasing additional circuits from traditional carriers could take weeks or even months.

Now, thanks to their control over the infrastructure, Hyperscalers can activate additional bandwidth in just a matter of days.

The financial aspect of this shift is also noteworthy.

While the initial investment in transoceanic cable systems is substantial—often exceeding $100 million just for a route across the Atlantic—the long-term business potential for these Hyperscalers is in the billions. The annual operational costs for managing and maintaining these cables are relatively minor when compared to the potential revenue they can generate.

Figure 72: Systems Driven by Hyperscalers, 2019-2023

Figure 73: Systems Impacted by Hyperscalers by Year, 2019-2023

FUTURE SYSTEMS IMPACTED

For the upcoming period of 2024 to 2028, 14% of the 56 planned systems are expected to be driven by Hyperscalers, representing a slight decrease from the 21% observed in the previous period (Figure 65). This reduction could be attributed to various factors, including the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and internal restructuring within major Hyperscalers like Facebook and Google. Facebook is considering cutting as much as 10% of its staff (Erb, 2022), while Google aims to improve operational efficiency by 20% (Elias, 2022).

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 21

ANALYTICS Additionally, the global chip shortage that began in 2020 has been a bottleneck for technological development across industries, although this is expected to resolve by the end of the year ( J.P. Morgan, 2022).

However, it’s crucial to note that systems backed by major Hyperscalers have a significantly higher likelihood of reaching implementation due to their robust financial capabilities. As such, we can anticipate that the 14% figure may rise as new projects are announced and others fall by the wayside. Without the backing of these Hyperscalers, future systems will face considerable challenges in proving their business cases and securing necessary funding.

In the broader Information Technology sector, a second wave of companies, particularly those offering remote work services, may soon follow in the footsteps of top-tier Hyperscalers. This could trigger another surge in Hyperscaler-driven systems, sustaining the submarine fiber market’s current activity levels even as the leading providers approach the limits of their infrastructure expansion. However, as of now, no new Hyperscalers have publicly announced plans to build submarine cable infrastructure.

Regarding financial investment, $2.1 billion, or 18% of the total projected investment of $11.6 billion for 2024-2028, is earmarked for Hyperscaler-backed systems (Figure 66). While these companies may not be the sole owners of every system they invest in, their financial contributions are nonetheless substantial and vital for the industry.

Lastly, while general statistics indicate that only 52% of announced cable systems eventually go into service (Clark, 2019), Hyperscaler-backed systems have largely bucked this trend. These systems usually don’t get announced until they’ve reached the CIF (Contract in Force) milestone, making it highly likely that they will be implemented. This further underscores the dominant role that Hyperscalers play in shaping the future of the submarine fiber industry. STF

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Figure 74: Systems Driven by Hyperscalers, 2024-2028

Figure 75: System Investment Driven by Hyperscalers, 2024-2028

DATA CENTERS

D

ata center providers have increasingly become essential components of the submarine telecommunications ecosystem in recent years. One of the most significant shifts has been the strategic placement of data center and colocation facilities near cable landing stations to optimize interconnection and network services. Constructing these facilities adjacent to, or even as an integral part of, the cable land-

ing stations minimizes network latency and simplifies infrastructure.

Such configurations are particularly beneficial for cable landing stations that accommodate multiple cable systems. These setups offer access to a broader range of customers and interconnection opportunities. For example, the cable landing facilities in Marseille, France, host thirteen international submarine cables and offer access

Figure 76: Data Center Clusters

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ANALYTICS to numerous potential customers seeking both interconnection and onward backhaul connectivity.

DATA CENTER MARKET EXPANSION & INTEGRATION

The cost of establishing a new data center can be substantial. Depending on its size and location, the construction cost can range from $7 to $12 million per megawatt (MW ). (Zhang, 2022) Google alone has invested $9.5 billion in new data center infrastructure in the United States last year. (Pichai, 2022) Additionally, research firm Gartner has projected data center expenditures to reach $226 billion in 2022, marking an 11.4% increase from the previous year. . (Haranas, 2022) These figures clearly indicate that the growth in data center infrastructure is on an upward trajectory.

Data centers operated by non-Hyperscalers like Equinix or Digital Realty Trust stand to benefit from the ongoing construction of submarine cables. Proximity to a cable landing station offers multiple interconnection opportunities, which can justify the high initial investment in a new data center. While these non-Hyperscaler data centers do gain advantages from submarine cable infrastructure, they are not the primary drivers of new builds. Instead, their interest lies solely in the interconnection opportunities provided by cable landing stations. For carrier-neutral providers like Equinix, locations served by only a single cable system are not considered attractive for expansion.

The acquisition of MainOne by Equinix in April 2022 is a significant indicator of how data center providers are becoming more directly involved with submarine cables. Equinix’s $320 million investment not only marks its entry into the African market but also augments its long-term strategy to become a leading

24 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

carrier-neutral digital infrastructure company in Africa.

This move will extend Platform Equinix into West Africa, providing both local and international organizations access to global and regional markets.

MainOne brings to Equinix four operational data centers and an extensive submarine network extending 7,000 kilometers from Portugal to Lagos, Accra, and along the West African coast. This acquisition is not just about expanding geographic reach; it’s also about enhancing connectivity and reducing latency, which are critical factors in the submarine cable industry.

As Equinix integrates MainOne’s assets, it will likely continue to deepen its involvement in the submarine cable sector. This could include more direct investments in submarine cables and even the development of new submarine cable systems to further connect its data centers globally. Therefore, as the industry evolves, expect data center providers like Equinix to play an increasingly integral role in the submarine cable ecosystem.

Bridging the gap between terrestrial and submarine traffic is crucial for international connectivity. Traditionally, submarine fiber systems would land at a cable landing station and then negotiate backhaul connectivity to a data center, which wasn’t always nearby. Subsequent negotiations for interconnection services with other carriers and providers would follow. This process added both network latency and complexity. However, these challenges are significantly reduced when data center facilities and cable landing stations are more closely integrated. As new technologies and strategies are developed in this direction, network efficiency and reliability are expected to continue improving. STF

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4 QUESTIONS WITH BRIAN MOON Talking Submarine Cable Industry With PTC’s CEO As we approach the annual Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) conference, SubTel Forum had an opportunity to catch up with PTC’s CEO Brian Moon. In this insightful conversation, we got a preview of the upcoming PTC’24 and some candid views on the path ahead. Brian shares his visionary insights, tackling industry challenges and unveiling strategic plans for the future. With PTC on the brink of its momentous 50th anniversary in 2028, read ahead to learn about the transformative role PTC envisions.

28 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

1.

PTC’24 IS AROUND THE CORNER, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT’S NEW AND DIFFERENT?

PTC’24 is committed to delivering thought leadership from the C-Suite, featuring insights from leaders of global companies at the forefront of digitally transforming our world. The conference, scheduled from January 21 to 24, 2024, in Honolulu, Hawaii, will feature a revamped program to include two days of Center Stage discussions, Topical Sessions, and a third day of special activities.

We will dive into the latest trends,

PTC’24 dissect groundbreaking technologies and connect with visionaries who are reshaping the landscape of infrastructure development and information technology. That said, submarine cables are truly the unsung heroes of our interconnected world as infrastructures are upgraded and enhanced to meet new demands of speed, redundancy and advanced technologies, and so PTC’24 will kick off once again with the always popular Submarine Cable Workshop on Sunday, 21 January.

Planning for the future, our PTC Beyond program will again bring together young professionals, offering them a platform to learn and be inspired as future leaders of digital transformation. Additionally, at PTC’24, we will honor excellence across our industry with the prestigious PTC Awards, presented at a ceremony open to all registered attendees.

Adding to the excitement, PTC’24 will debut The Big Kahunas event—an inaugural face-off for trailblazing entrepreneurs. This event brings industry titans together with a select group of visionaries, showcasing groundbreaking ideas. The Big Kahunas goes beyond being a mere competition; it serves as a launchpad for the future!

Get ready for an immersive experience at PTC’24, where innovation, collaboration and the future of the industry converge.

2.

HOW DO YOU SEE PTC EVOLVING AMIDST THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT) SECTOR, PARTICULARLY WITH THE RAPID PACE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION?

PTC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the global digital infrastructure, telecommunications and ICT sector. With a focus on the Pacific Rim, our goal is to extend our central hub role beyond the annual conference and academic community support into an arena of significant impact and influence.

Where connectivity, technology and infrastructure converge seamlessly to address today’s challenges and opportunities, PTC’s vision is to be a catalyst for positive change --pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the digital landscape. PTC offers a platform where top-tier CEOs, senior executives and thought leaders come together to discuss, strategize and pioneer solutions that impact the industry on a global scale.

In embracing this vision, PTC strives to be a central force in embracing change and uniting companies to seamlessly integrate digital technology and infrastructure. Our goal is to ensure that our industry sectors not only adapt to but also play a proactive role in shaping transformation as it unfolds.

In a nutshell, the vision of PTC centers on becoming a

dynamic hub for collaboration, innovation and progress.

Our commitment lies in shaping the course of digital evolution for the greater benefit of both the industry and society.

3.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FOR PTC AT THE MOMENT?

Running a nonprofit industry organization for professionals at the forefront of digital transformation involves tackling multi-faceted challenges. First and foremost, engaging and retaining members, advocating for their interests in diverse policy landscapes and fostering global collaboration amidst various cultures pose ongoing challenges.

PTC must continue to build collaborative initiatives to ensure our programs align with the latest technologies, promote diversity and inclusion, address ethical concerns surrounding technology use and actively shape a positive public perception of ICT professionals. Success in this dynamic landscape requires a strategic approach, in addition to funding and support through partnerships.

Moreover, PTC needs to strike a delicate balance between representing the diverse interests of our members while navigating regulatory complexities and promoting ethical and environmentally sustainable considerations in an ever-evolving tech landscape. By confronting these challenges directly, we are confident that we will enhance PTC’s role in influencing the future of ICT.

4.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR PTC? IN ANTICIPATION OF PTC’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2028, WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE?

As we approach our 50th anniversary, the prospect of PTC’s future is filled with exciting possibilities for the organization and the broader digital infrastructure, telecom and ICT sectors. The following are some key initiatives that PTC will continue to support as we focus on building into the future.

Expansion: PTC is a well-recognized and respected organization and brand within the industry. As our membership continues to grow globally, PTC must support this growth and create new initiatives outside of our annual conference. This can be accomplished through outreach programs linked to PTC’s Mission and members’ needs and expansion of membership benefits. Of course, the Pacific Islands will continue to remain a priority and any new initiatives will include this important community.

Ongoing Technological Advancements: We anticipate ongoing technological advancements, including breakNOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 29

throughs in 6G, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. PTC will not just be a spectator in this technological evolution; rather, we plan to stand at the forefront, ready to lead discussions on global collaboration and strategies that will shape our interconnected future.

Sustainability Takes Center Stage: In the years to come, sustainability will take center stage across the digital infrastructure and telecoms sector. PTC will help initiate active conversations about green technologies, renewable energy solutions and environmentally conscious practices. This is our commitment to a more sustainable future.

Nurturing Future Leaders: PTC Beyond is important to PTC’s mission, focusing on educating the next generation of telecom and technology executives. Through mentorship and educational programs, we look forward to supporting young professionals with the tools and connections to build a career in ICT. This initiative reflects PTC’s commitment to fostering a capable and innovative leadership pipeline for the future.

Annual Conference: Our annual conference is arguably the most important week for the industry and kicks off the year. The current model has successfully worked for many years, so we are not looking to change this. However, the industry is evolving quickly and there are numerous opportunities to include these trends to enhance future events.

For example, as mentioned previously, PTC’24 will be different compared to recent years with CEOs and senior executives participating in focused keynote panel sessions on specific, timely topics. And partnering with subject matter expert organizations when appropriate such as Mobile

30 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

Ecosystem Forum, who will be producing a dedicated halfday Topical Session on mobile, network, and edge services.

Inclusivity and Diversity: Recognizing the role of inclusivity and diversity in driving innovation, PTC is committed to supporting key industry initiatives that ensure the benefits of technological advancements are extended to a wider range of communities worldwide. This forward-looking approach aims to make the advantages of technology accessible to all.

As PTC approaches our half century mark, the organization holds the potential to be a driving force in guiding the industry through transformative changes, contributing to a future where digital infrastructure, telecoms and ICT are not only technologically advanced but also socially responsible and inclusive. STF As CEO of the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC), Brian is responsible for carrying out the strategic plan of PTC, managing and guiding PTC’s operations and activities, and serving the PTC membership community, along with the Secretariat.

Brian held a variety of roles over a span of 15 years at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Prior to joining PTC, he was the vice president of sales and business development at CTA, where he led the sales and business development team for CTA and CES, driving growth and industry engagement.

Previously he was vice president of international sales from 2014 to 2020 and national accounts manager from 2003 to 2009.

In addition to his two tenures at CTA, Brian was also vice president of sales, convention and allied membership with the National Restaurant Association, and manager of industry relations and exhibits at the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional and Technical Communication with a concentration in Marketing from Rochester Institute of Technology. He is a member of the International Association of Exhibition and Events (IAEE) and is certified in exhibition management (CEM).STF

PTC’24 SCHEDULE Saturday, January 20 Time

Event Title

Location

8:00 AM HAT

PTC HUB Registration

MPCC, Coral Lounge

8:30 AM HAT

PITA Members Meeting

2:00 PM HAT

Conference Registration

MPCC, Coral Lounge

3:00 PM HAT

Networking Break

MPCC, Coral Lounge

6:30 PM HAT

PTC’24 Members’ Soirée

Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa, Na Lea Terrace

Sunday, January 21 Time

Event Title

Location

7:00 AM HAT

PTC HUB Registration

MPCC, Coral Lounge

7:30 AM HAT

Program Participants’ Breakfast

7:45 AM HAT

Conference Registration

MPCC, Coral Lounge

8:00 AM HAT

PTC HUB Open

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

9:00 AM HAT

Submarine Cable: Around the World - Trends Across the Globe Driving the Global Network

MPCC, Coral 1 & 2

Differentiating Digital Equity in Hawaii

MPCC, Nautilus 1 & 2

Connecting Tomorrow, Transforming and Adapting Telecom into the Digital Age

MPCC, South Pacific 1

Empowering the Future - Unveiling the Status of the Wireless Industry in Mobile Telecom Markets

MPCC, South Pacific 4

10:00 AM HAT

PTC Membership Table

MPCC, Coral Lounge

10:30 AM HAT

Networking Break

MPCC, Coral & South Pacific Lounge

10:45 AM HAT

Submarine Cable: Sniffing Around a Sensitive Subject

MPCC, Coral 1 & 2

The Four Mobile Concerns: Privacy, Security, Trust, Fraud

MPCC, South Pacific 4

11:00 AM HAT

AI: Risks, Rights, and Responsibilities

MPCC, Nautilus 1 & 2

12:00 PM HAT

Submarine Cable Luncheon: Is it Time for Reformation?

MPCC, Coral 1 & 2

Lunch in PTC HUB

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

12:15 PM HAT

Electromagnetic Shielding Technology for the System Resilience

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

2:00 PM HAT

TeleGeography Topical Session 1

MPCC, Coral 1 & 2

Revolutionizing Messaging and Wholesale Voice: Insights From Industry Experts

MPCC, South Pacific 1

Recruiters Topical Session

MPCC, South Pacific 2

The Future of Telecom Numbering: Innovations and Trends in a Digital Era

MPCC, South Pacific 4

2:45 PM HAT

Networking Break

MPCC, Coral & South Pacific Lounge

3:00 PM HAT

TeleGeography Topical Session 2

MPCC, Coral 1 & 2

Digital Divide

MPCC, Nautilus 1 & 2

Designing the Digital Ground Segment of the Future

MPCC, South Pacific 3

Monetizing Mobile Edge Services - the New Data Hosting Model

MPCC, South Pacific 4

PTC Beyond Zellennials Welcome Cocktail

Rainbow Tower, Niumalu Suite, Room 3013

Opening Reception

Hilton Hawaiian Village, The Great Lawn

6:30 PM HAT

JANUARY 2023 | ISSUE 128 31

PTC’24 SCHEDULE Monday, January 22 Time

Event Title

Location

7:00 AM HAT

PTC HUB Registration

MPCC, Coral Lounge

7:30 AM HAT

Program Participants’ Breakfast

Tapa Tower, Honolulu 2 & 3

PTC Membership Table

Tapa Tower, Tapa Bar

7:45 AM HAT

Power Women Breakfast Series

Tapa Tower, Honolulu 1

8:00 AM HAT

PTC HUB Open

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

Conference Registration

MPCC, Coral Lounge

9:00 AM HAT

Grab-and-Go Delegate Breakfast

MPCC, Coral Lounge

Welcome Remarks

Tapa Tower, Tapa 2 & 3

9:15 AM HAT

State of Our Industry Today – The Half-filled Glass

Tapa Tower, Tapa 2 & 3

10:00 AM HAT

PTC Membership Table

MPCC, Coral Lounge

Networking Break

Tapa Tower, Palace Lounge

10:15 AM HAT

The CEO of Tomorrow: Navigating Uncertainty in a Post-COVID World

Tapa Tower, Tapa 2 & 3

11:00 AM HAT

The New Asia Opportunity

Tapa Tower, Tapa 2 & 3

11:45 AM HAT

Closing Remarks

Tapa Tower, Tapa 2 & 3

12:00 PM HAT

Educators’ and Researchers’ Luncheon

Kalia Tower, Kahili 1 & 2

Lunch in PTC HUB

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

Satellite Leaders Luncheon

Tapa Tower, Honolulu 2 & 3

12:45 PM HAT

Valuing Data Centers in Emerging Markets

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

1:00 PM HAT

Multi-Domain Edge Connectivity Services for Equinix Metal, Network Edge, Fabric, and Multi-Cloud

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

1:15 PM HAT

Satellite Connectivity in the Pacific: Overcome Geographical Challenges for Inclusive Communication

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

1:30 PM HAT

Privacy & Cybersecurity Issues Facing Metaverse: An Analysis of Technological & Institutional Factors

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

2:00 PM HAT

Emerging Markets (South Asia) Topical Session

MPCC, Coral 1

Monetizing AI: Who, What, Where, Why, How

MPCC, Coral 2

Digital Infrastructure Partners Program

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

Emerging Scholars Topical Session 1

MPCC, Nautilus 1 & 2

Legal/Regulatory Topical Session

MPCC, South Pacific 1

2:45 PM HAT

DAS Topical Session

MPCC, South Pacific 2

Networking Break

MPCC, Coral & South Pacific Lounge

Time

Event Title

Location

3:00 PM HAT

Surfing the Data Center Wave: Riding the Challenges and Opportunities in Emerging Markets

MPCC, Coral 1

AI Rules of the Road Are Coming

MPCC, Coral 2

Digital Infrastructure Partners Program

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

Internet Exchange Topical Session

MPCC, South Pacific 1

Fiber Topical Session 1

MPCC, South Pacific 2

Submarine Cable Topical Session

MPCC, South Pacific 3

Satellite Mobile in Your Pocket?

MPCC, South Pacific 4

3:45 PM HAT

Building Digital Infrastructures

MPCC, Nautilus 1 & 2

4:00 PM HAT

Junior Top Dog Cruise

Hilton Hawaiian Village Pier

15 Minutes with the Big Kahunas

Tapa Tower, Tapa Bar Stage

PTC’24 5K Charity Run/Walk

Hilton Hawaiian Village, The Great Lawn

5:45 AM HAT

Tuesday, January 23 Time

Event Title

Location

5:45 AM HAT

PTC’24 5K Charity Run/Walk

Hilton Hawaiian Village, The Great Lawn

7:30 AM HAT

Program Participants’ Breakfast

Tapa Tower, Honolulu 2 & 3

PTC Membership Table

Tapa Tower, Tapa Bar

PTC HUB Open

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

Conference Registration

MPCC, Coral Lounge

Grab-and-Go Delegate Breakfast

MPCC, Coral Lounge

9:00 AM HAT

Opening Remarks

Tapa Tower, Tapa 2 & 3

9:15 AM HAT

The Infrastructure Builders

Tapa Tower, Tapa 2 & 3

10:00 AM HAT

PTC Membership Table

MPCC, Coral Lounge

Networking Break

Tapa Tower, Palace Lounge; MPCC, South Pacific Lounge

10:15 AM HAT

The Infrastructure Partners. Are We Creating a New Set of Under the Top Operators?

Tapa Tower, Tapa 2 & 3

11:00 AM HAT

The New Market Pioneers

Tapa Tower, Tapa 2 & 3

11:45 AM HAT

Closing Remarks

Tapa Tower, Tapa 2 & 3

12:00 PM HAT

Lunch in PTC HUB

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

Special Interest Group (SIG) on ICT4D Luncheon

MPCC, Nautilus 1 & 2

Lawyers’ & Regulators’ Luncheon

Rainbow Tower, Rainbow 1 & 2

Enterprise Luncheon

Tapa Tower, Tapa 1

12:15 PM HAT

PTC HUB Lightning Talks

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

1:00 PM HAT

Enterprise Seminar Welcome Remarks

Tapa Tower, Tapa 1

1:15 PM HAT

Rearchitecting the Enterprise Data Center While Competing With Hyperscalers for Capacity

Tapa Tower, Tapa 1

2:00 PM HAT

Fiber Topical Session 2

MPCC, Coral 1

“Access to Capital in a Changing Market Environment” - Show Me the Money!!!

MPCC, Coral 2

Digital Infrastructure Partners Program

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

Emerging Scholars Topical Session 2

MPCC, Nautilus 1 & 2

Energy Topical Session

MPCC, South Pacific 1

Space Strategies for Telcos in Asia/Pacific

MPCC, South Pacific 4

8:00 AM HAT

Networking Break

Tapa Tower, Tapa 1

2:30 PM HAT

Powering Progress: Igniting Enterprise and Telecom/Data Center Operators Cooperation

Tapa Tower, Tapa 1

2:45 PM HAT

Networking Break

MPCC, Coral & South Pacific Lounge

3:00 PM HAT

SD-WAN/Software Topical Session

MPCC, Coral 1

Data Center Topical Session

MPCC, Coral 2

Managed Services Topical Session

MPCC, South Pacific 1

PTC Beyond Roundtable: 360° View of the Future Digital Ecosystem

Tapa Tower, Honolulu Suite & Lanai

3:15 PM HAT

Enterprise Seminar Fireside Chat

Tapa Tower, Tapa 1

3:45 PM HAT

Networks and Implementing AI and Blockchain

MPCC, Nautilus 1 & 2

4:00 PM HAT

Innovative Challenge by Japan’s Startup to Expand ICT Global Business

Tapa Tower, Leilani Suitep

15 Minutes with the Big Kahunas

Tapa Tower, Tapa Bar Stage

Enterprise Dinner

Invitation Only

5:00 PM HAT

PTC Women’s Reception

Wednesday, January 24 Time 8:00 AM HAT

Event Title

Location

PTC HUB Open

MPCC, Coral 3, 4 & 5

Conference Registration

MPCC, Coral Lounge

Grab-and-Go Delegate Breakfast

MPCC, Coral Lounge

9:00 AM HAT

PTC Awards 2024

Tapa Tower, Tapa 2 & 3

11:00 AM HAT

PTC Members’ Meeting and Luncheon

Tapa Tower, Tapa 1

2:00 PM HAT

PTC’24 Football Match & Special Olympics

Hale Koa Hotel, Kuroda Field

CONTI

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL PTC ACADEMY GRADUATES!

34 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

Has participa

PT

An

INUING EDUCATION CERTIFICATE ATTENDEE:

John Doe

ated in and successfully completed the following continuing education course

TC BEYOND – THE ACADEMY MASTER CLASS 2-23 October 2023

nd is awarded 15 Professional Development Hours (15 PDHs) And 1.5 Continuing Education Units (1.5 CEUs)

Gary Kim, Lead Course Instructor

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 35

THE POWER OF TECHNOLOGY AND COLLABORATI

Don’t miss the premier conference for digital infrastructure, telecommunications, and ICT

36 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

ION

REGISTER NOW AT PTC.ORG/PTC24 NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 37

FEATURE

AND THE MOST

EXPLOSIVE

VOLCANIC ERUPTION

THIS CENTURY

BY MICHAEL CLARE

AN ERUPTION THAT SHOOK THE WORLD

The entire world was shaken on the 15th of January 2022 by the eruption of a volcano in the South Pacific.

The blast was so powerful that it created a pressure wave that travelled at least three times around the planet and caused a tsunami that reached the other side of the Pacific Ocean. The ground motions generated by the eruption were recorded by earthquake monitoring stations worldwide.

Volcanic ash and steam were shot almost 60 kilometres into the air, forming a plume that was visible from space. This remarkable eruption was the most explosive ever recorded with modern instruments and was likely the largest of any underwater volcano since 1883 when Krakatau erupted in the Sunda Strait, offshore Indonesia.

GLOBAL AND LOCAL IMPACTS

Despite its power, there was little warning before the

38 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

sudden eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai (now referred to as Hunga Volcano); a volcano that lies mostly under the sea in the waters of the Kingdom of Tonga. The islands of Tonga and Fiji were impacted by even larger tsunamis, some of which reached tens of metres height when they made landfall, dwarfing the islands that they inundated. Fortunately for the local population, tsunami warning and evacuation strategies were extremely effective.

However, in the midst of a volcanic crisis, the island nation of Tonga suddenly found itself cut off from global communications, at a critical time for disaster response. Just over an hour after the largest explosion of Hunga Volcano on 15th January 2022, Tonga’s only international subsea telecommunications cable was damaged, cutting connections from Tonga to Fiji. A domestic subsea cable that provides connections to island groups within Tonga was also broken, only 15 minutes after the main explosion.

Photograph of Hunga volcano erupting on the 14th January 2022.

Photo credit: Taaniela Kula, Tonga Geological Services.

overseas”. Satellite communications only kicked in four days later. It would be five weeks until the international cable was repaired, and a year and a half until data traffic on the domestic cable was restored.

A RAPID RESPONSE TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF SUBSEA CABLE DAMAGE

AN INTERNET BLACKOUT

The people of Tonga had become cut off from global communications, unable to contact family and friends, and limiting an effective international response. The scale of the impacts remained unknown to the outside world. Semisi Panuve, CEO of Tonga Cable Ltd, said “Everything was down. We went from having very good connectivity to less than 1% when the satellite connections started to trickle in. We were restricted to very basic messaging for the first five days at least”.

Financial impacts were felt immediately, as illustrated by Panuve who commented, “Connectivity is very important for Tonga. Almost 50% of Tonga’s GDP is from remittances sent from family abroad, so when the connection was lost, many people missed out on their income. It was almost a week before people could start receiving funds. Banks had difficulties connecting. Businesses came practically to a standstill during that time. They could not import or connect with trading partners

This cable-damaging eruption raised many questions.

What explained the damage to the subsea cables and why was the damage delayed more than an hour after the main eruption? How extensive was the damage and how had the seafloor changed? What can we learn about future threats to cables here, and in other remote locations? To answer these questions, an internationally collaborative team was formed immediately after the eruption. This collaboration included academic researchers from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Germany and Tonga, and from across the subsea telecommunications industry, initially coordinated by the International Cable Protection Committee. When the submarine cable industry became aware of the eruption and the damage to the international and domestic submarine cables, many cable owners contributed vital spare cable and equipment to enable the repair of the international cable. The Vice Chair of the International Cable Protection Committee, Dean Veverka, commented at the time, “our immediate concern was for the health and safety of the people of Tonga and re-establishing communications with the rest of the world”. Funding was secured rapidly from the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council, through their Urgency Grant scheme, which was complemented by subsequent funding from The Nippon Foundation to secure time on New Zealand’s research vessel Tangaroa (operated by the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, NIWA) to perform seafloor surveys.

Those surveys investigated the cause of the cable damage and acquired new data to inform the cable repairs. Kevin Mackay, who was the lead on the offshore data acquisition for NIWA, commented “The findings of the seafloor surveys, which were undertaken within just three months of the eruption, came as a huge surprise to all involved”.

DENSE SEAFLOOR FLOWS RESHAPED THE SEAFLOOR

Unlike many locations across the South Pacific, where there exists sparse or no detailed seafloor mapping at all, the seafloor around Hunga Volcano had already been mapped in detail in 2015 and 2016, providing a unique pre-eruption baseline. By comparing these with the new data acquired after the 2022 eruption, the research team discovered that major, but localised changes in seafloor elevation had ocNOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 39

FEATURE curred. The caldera in the middle of the volcano had become at least 800 m deeper after the eruption. More than six cubic kilometres of material had been ejected from the centre of the volcano and up into the air. Steep gullies had become incised into the submerged volcano flanks, locally cutting down more than 100 metres into the previous seafloor. Where these gullies started to become less steep, the team found thick accumulations of volcanic ash and rubble that reached thicknesses of up to 40 m. Seafloor sampling as far as 80 km away from the volcano revealed deposits that could be linked to the eruption. Deposition of ash and other volcanic material blanketed almost all of the deep seafloor that was surveyed. Dr Sarah Seabrook, one of the lead scientists at NIWA, said “photographic surveys revealed that, with a few exceptions, previously-abundant seafloor life had either been removed or was smothered by this volcanic material”. These combined lines of evidence allowed the team to conclude that the seafloor changes and widespread deposition were created by seafloor-hugging density currents that were laden with volcanic material.

These dense flows were triggered when erupted volcanic ash and rocks entered directly into the ocean, as the volcanic eruption column started to collapse.

Photograph of Hunga volcano erupting on the 14th January 2022.

Photo credit: Taaniela Kula, Tonga Geological Services.

The January 15th 2022 explosion of Hunga volcano was seen from space. Photo credit: GOES-West NOAA/RAMMB/CIRA

WHAT EXPLAINED THE EXTENSIVE SUBSEA CABLE DAMAGE?

During the eruption, these dense seafloor flows radiated from all sides of the volcano, resulting in a head-on impact with the domestic cable, which lay in a valley to the east. These flows led to more than 20 metres thickness of volcanic rubble being emplaced on top of the domestic cable. The seafloor relief caused the steering of flows to the north and south, parallel with the domestic cable, explaining why more than 100 km of cable was required for the repair. This cable, which was around 15 kilometres from the volcano, was either damaged or buried along this length. Around 70 kilometres away, the

40 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

international cable was also found to be extensively buried and damaged, with 89 km length requiring replacement. The remarkable extent of damage meant that new cable needed to be manufactured, adding significant time to the repairs.

RECORD-BREAKING FLOWS IN THE OCEAN

In addition to providing information to inform the cable repairs, the timing and locations of damage to the subsea cables provided surprising insights into the haz-

ardous flows that caused the damage. Knowing the timing of the eruption, the cable breaks and their location meant it was possible to calculate speeds for the seafloor flows in a similar manner to that previously used to determine speeds for cable-damaging flows offshore Taiwan, Algeria and North America. According to Dr Isobel Yeo, a lead scientist from the UK’s National Oceanography Centre, “the speeds of the flows at Hunga Volcano were far faster than those reported anywhere else in the ocean”. Flows reached a maximum of 122 kilometres per hour, or 76 miles per hour) The pathways of powerful seafloor flows triggered by the Hunga volcanic eruption that damaged seafloor cables offshore Tonga.

These exceptional speeds Image credit: NOC/NIWA/NERC/BBC. are explained by the huge volume of dense volcanic material that was fired directly into the ocean onto the volcanoes is the primary reason why the eruption of steep submerged volcano flanks. As flows rocketed along Hunga Volcano came as such a surprise. So, what should the seafloor, they picked up additional material from be done to improve our understanding of this hazard? Dr those steep slopes, further increasing their density and Yeo answers “More extensive and detailed seafloor mapping momentum. Even 80 km away from the volcano, the flow will help to identify hazardous volcanoes, as well as providing was travelling at speeds of up to 51 kilometres per hour. evidence of other processes that could damage subsea cables, These speeds exceed those of river flood-triggered flows such as underwater landslides”. Repeat seafloor surveys are that recently damaged subsea cables in the Congo Cannot commonplace, but as shown by this study, they can yon, West Africa and flows elsewhere triggered by large provide valuable information on recent volcanic activity. earthquakes and tropical storms.

Monitoring extensive underwater regions in the South Pacific is expensive and logistically challenging; however, recent advances in sensing, using the fibre-optics that ADDRESSING HAZARD BLIND SPOTS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC lie at the core of telecommunications cables, provides an While the eruption of Hunga Volcano is a rare event opportunity to fill key gaps and record data in real-time. for this specific volcano (likely a one in a thousand year Distributed Acoustic Sensing, State of Polarisation and event), Dr Marta Ribó, of Auckland University of TechInterferometry are all techniques that can be used withnology, remarks “there are many other similar volcanoes out modifying a commercial cable and have the benefits along the wider Tonga-Tofua Arc. Our recent mapping of providing a tool for monitoring cable health as well as has shown that some of these volcanoes are highly active enabling detection of natural events such as earthquakes and have experienced similar eruptions in their past”. and volcanic tremors. These technologies will be particuHowever, most remain poorly mapped and aside from larly valuable to seismically and volcanically active remote sparse seismic monitoring stations on land, are also not island locations such as Tonga. monitored. This monitoring blind spot for submerged NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 41

FEATURE

The R/V Tangaroa surveying the seafloor at Hunga volcano.

The two peaks of the islands at the top of volcano extend just above sea level. Image credit: NIWA-NIPPON FOUNDATION.

IMPROVING SUBSEA CABLE RESILIENCE IN DYNAMIC REGIONS

Having sufficient diversity of cable routes and landing stations is key to enhancing network resilience; however, in contrast to other regions, the South Pacific remains relatively under-served by subsea telecommunications cables. General Manager for the International Cable Protection Committee, Ryan Wopschall, comments “due to the high capital cost of submarine cable systems, remote island nations may only have one, perhaps two international submarine cables coming to shore. The more redundant connections for any country, the more resilient their overall connection is to the world”. Due to its complex geological setting, the South Pacific is also exposed to more natural hazards than most regions, experiencing frequent volcanic activity and large magnitude earthquakes, in addition to the impacts of tropical storms and sea level rise driven by climate change that are becoming more severe. While subsea cables are usually routed to avoid hazardous features or areas, a push to connect remote islands in regions such as the South Pacific and Caribbean means that avoidance is not always possible. Key lessons learned from the Hunga Volcano eruption are to hold greater lengths of spare cable in stock as and when repairs are needed and to invest in complementary back-up communications, such as low-level satellite coverage. Perhaps most importantly, greater investment in more diverse route options is needed to enhance resilience to countries that are under-served by existing telecommunications connections.

CONTINUING THE LEGACY OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL COLLABORATION

While natural hazards such as submarine landslides, earthquakes and tropical storms can damage subsea telecommunications cables, such events account for less than ten percent of cable faults that happen each year worldwide. In fact, the global network is remarkably resilient, as the subsea cable industry undertakes pre-routing desk studies and detailed marine surveys to identify and mitigate against the adverse impacts of both natural and human hazards (such as fishing) through careful routing and cable protection. While representing a rare event for the industry, studies of hazards such as those at Hunga Volcano are valuable to improve the resilience of local networks. The new observations made during this project have not only helped to understand a threat to subsea

42 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

cables, but also provide fundamental new insights into how a previously-unknown natural process operates in the deep sea. Without the evidence of cable damage, we would have little clue about what happened beneath the waves at Hunga Volcano. This collaboration between the subsea cable industry and academics will help to enhance network resilience as well as fundamentally improving our wider understanding of the ocean and natural hazards.

Similar mutually-beneficial collaborations between ocean researchers and the subsea cable industry date back at least to the first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable systems, where fundamental strides in our understanding of ocean science were made, and will hopefully long continue.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank the Kingdom of Tonga for allowing us to undertake this research and acknowledge funding from the International Cable Protection Committee, the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council and The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 project. This work would not have been possible without the captain, crew, and scientists aboard RV Tangaroa (Voyage TAN2206) and the use of SEA-KIT International’s Uncrewed Surface Vessel Maxlimer for mapping the caldera. We extend our gratitude to everyone involved in these voyages and for assistance in processing the results. STF DR. MICHAEL CLARE is a researcher at the National Oceanography Centre (UK). Since 2019 he has been the Marine Environmental Adviser to the International Cable Protection Committee and keeps a watching brief on the state of scientific understanding with respect to subsea cables and the marine environment. His research interests particularly focus on understanding natural hazards that affect the seafloor and critical infrastructure, having led recent studies that assess the risks posed by tropical cyclones, submarine landslides and climate change-related impacts for subsea telecommunications cables.

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NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 43

FEATURE

THE ROLE OF

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

IN DATA CENTERS

TRENDS AND BEST PRACTICES

BY DAVID KOREDE

I

t can be challenging for data center managers to meet energy-saving targets while lowering risk. We must address those challenges now. Controlling the space, power, and cooling needed is crucial for data center efficiency and longevity.

The advantages of employing facilities management in data centers, new developments in this field, and effective methods for putting facilities management into practice are all covered in this article.

44 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

THE ROLE OF A FACILITY MANAGER IN DATA CENTRES

Facilities managers are in charge of the building’s mechanical systems, including the HVAC, energy management, security, and building that houses the data center.

Other duties consist of: • Environmental health and safety • Emergency planning and response for the facility • Managing change within the facility • Mitigating risks from infrastructure failure through adequate maintenance

For those who oversee co-located data centers with several customers utilizing their facilities, facility managers ought to be proficient project managers who can allocate resources, set priorities, and plan work effectively.

These managers need to adjust quickly to changing circumstances and strike a balance between conflicting priorities and resource demands.

To keep their complex structures functioning correctly, data center facility managers and IT administrators must work together, coordinate administrative tasks, and administer consistent facility procedures.

Furthermore, the infrastructure within the data center should be considered while setting up the HVAC systems.

Thus, administrators and facility managers must communicate about their requirements.

In addition, facility managers need to be well-versed in emerging technologies, industry best practices, and data center architectural concepts. They need to know the types of equipment housed in their data centers, including networking, storage, servers, virtual machines, SANs, and other components, and how the physical environment may impact them.

In addition, facilities managers frequently use infrastructure management technologies in data centers to assist them in keeping an eye on specific components of their buildings, such as cooling or power use. Data center administrators can monitor their infrastructure more carefully with such solutions.

Also, facility managers must be well-versed in emerging technologies, industry best practices, and data center architectural concepts. Trends in FM, such as smart buildings and automation, are needed, especially in data centers.

TRENDS IN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT FOR DATA CENTERS

New trends are emerging to solve the issues of facilities management as data centers get more technologically advanced.

Some of the upcoming developments in data center facilities management include the following: 1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Systems: AI is useful for analyzing data center performance and pinpointing improvement areas. Predictive maintenance using machine learning is another aspect that can boost productivity and decrease downtime in any facility.

2. Remote Monitoring and Management: With the increasing adoption of IoT sensors and smart technologies, facilities managers can monitor data center operations remotely. CAFM has evolved to support facilities managers in real-time troubleshooting, proactive

maintenance, and day-to-day activities like optimizing energy efficiency.

3. Enhanced Security Measures: Data center security is a top priority. Facilities managers worldwide implement advanced physical and security measures, such as biometric access controls, multi-factor authentication, and advanced fire detection and suppression systems.

4. Renewable Energy: In response to the increased emphasis on sustainability, data centers are considering employing renewable energy sources to reduce their carbon impact. Facilities managers play a pivotal role in the planning, implementation, and ongoing management of renewable energy initiatives in data centers, including energy audits, feasibility studies, implementation, integration with existing systems, and more.

IMPORTANCE OF ADOPTING THE LATEST TRENDS TO STAY COMPETITIVE

Maintaining a competitive edge as a facility manager requires keeping up with the most recent developments in data center facilities management. Adopting these trends is crucial for the reasons listed below, among others: 1. Cost optimization: Best practices in facility management can increase data center profitability and margins.

For instance, next-generation maintenance techniques lower capital costs, increase reliability, and enable more precise capital planning.

2. Enhanced efficiency: Data center performance can be examined using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify improvement areas. Another use of AI that can increase output and reduce downtime in any plant is predictive maintenance, ensuring infrastructure longevity.

3. Sustainability: One of the importance of adopting the latest trends is how sustainable these trends are. Facility managers can have the assurance that they can plan long-term following the start of modern trends.

BEST PRACTICES FOR FACILITIES MANAGEMENT IN DATA CENTERS

Many facility management teams base choices in data centers on the pressing needs of the moment rather than considering the more expansive, longer-term picture. On the other hand, leading data centers implement facility management using the total cost of ownership (TCO) method and gain from lower expenses and risks.

TCO is the cost of purchasing, developing, building, running, and maintaining an asset during its useful life. Your facility management team is more likely to make decisions with the larger picture in mind rather than just concentrating on an urgent issue when you adopt a TCO attitude.

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 45

FEATURE Data centers can become more competitive in the market by concentrating on TCO. Ultimately, the TCO strategy improves productivity, uptime, and dependability while generating skills development opportunities that draw and keep FM personnel.

These results, when coupled with cost reductions, result in a more productive data center with well-trained staff.

The best practices for FM in data centers are listed below.

ADOPTING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

The best practices that eventually increase uptime and TCO, as well as the cumulative impacts of various activities, must be understood by your FM staff.

Possessing a written playbook with standard operating procedures (SOPs) and best practices covering your data center (s)’ chain of command, operations, training, risk management, and role assignments is a related best practice.

Everyone will be aware of the laws and be prepared to help avoid serious mistakes that might cost millions of dollars in lost revenue if they receive the proper training according to the playbook.

You probably know of the conventional method of FM maintenance, wherein corporate standards or equipment manufacturers set the timeframes for replacement, upINVESTMENT IN FACILITIES MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY grades, and servicing.

Even the slightest error can result in expensive downThe calendar-based method, time regarding critical environment however, raises capital costs without maintenance, and humans cause FORWARD-THINKING necessarily enhancing reliability. most mistakes.

Not a calendar, but the amount of Given this, forward-thinking data DATA CENTERS ARE usage and the surrounding environcenters are spending money on FM SPENDING MONEY ON solutions that aid in eliminating the ment determine how poorly equipment performs. human factor.

FM SOLUTIONS THAT For instance, your new HVAC Modern FM software autoAID IN ELIMINATING unit’s maker may consider replacing mates data center operations it after 15 years. Nevertheless, the THE HUMAN FACTOR. and centralizes and standardizes HVAC system at your facility is information to reduce human error stressed by the harsh temperature using a computerized maintenance changes in the area, and it breaks down in year 12. When management system (CMMS). CMMSs can assist the the temperature in your data center rises, you must tempofacilities maintenance (FM) team in optimizing worker rarily stop operations while your FM rushes to replace the productivity, expanding accuracy and dependability, and HVAC system. creating cost savings.

Analyzing building equipment performance through The statistics may show, for instance, that one of your the use of advanced facility technologies that integrate data centers consumes a lot more energy than the others. sensor data with analytics, machine learning powered by Instead of making haphazard decisions leading to more artificial intelligence (AI), and predictive modeling is a issues, your engineers can investigate the situation and superior strategy. eliminate energy waste using data and analytics.

There are so many benefits: building engineers may now identify performance problems invisible to the naked eye CONCLUSION thanks to these tools; your FM team would know much Resilient, 100% uptime is essential in critical data cenin advance that the HVAC needed maintenance if they ter environments. You can increase digital infrastructure had these data-driven early signs; your building engineers reliability and reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) by imwould be able to address the performance problems early, plementing FM best practices, improving your data center’s preventing the need for expensive downtime and premature competitiveness in the market. STF equipment replacement that could harm the reputation of DAVID KOREDE is the director of Eliezer Workplace Manageyour data center.

STAFF TRAINING WITH STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES

With regular staff training to keep the FM team’s abilities fresh, a well-managed data center has the proper procedures.

46 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

ment (Eliezer Group). He is a Chartered Administrator and seasoned Facilities Management Professional who holds the Facility Management Professional (FMP) certification of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), USA, with over 15 years of experience across multiple business sectors.

FEATURE

ADVANCING SUBMARINE CABLE PROJECT MANAGEMENT The Integration and Evolution of PM 2.0 to PM 3.0 Systems

BY KRISTIAN NIELSEN AND GREG REINECKE

POLICY

PM 2.0 is a web-based project management and quality control system that integrates in-field and in-office supervisory activities with Client-centric dashboards for the real-time monitoring of a submarine cable implementation.

We utilize our proprietary PM 2.0 Project Management System for management and reporting throughout the duration of the submarine cable project.

We employ rigorous Project Control to ensure and document that work performed achieves the highest required standards and level of quality, and have developed tablet tools, and video and superior digital reporting for in-field

operations, as well as created enhanced web-based Client communications and Quality Control of multifaceted tasks.

FRAMEWORK

Our Project Management system, PM 2.0, provides the framework for accomplishing the submarine system implementation management within PMP® requirements and standards. PM 2.0 employs rigorous Project Control, utilizing tablet tools, video, and superior digital reporting for in-field operations, as well as web-based Client communications and Quality Control of multifaceted tasks.

PM 2.0 inputs include the following as shown below: NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 47

FEATURE • Project Communications • GIS Database • Project FTP • Project Documents • Smartsheet • Esri Dashboards • Templated Reporting • Figure 1: PM 2.0 Inputs • Processes and Methodologies PM 2.0 utilizes a template driven approach for forms and reports to ensure consistent documentation over the life of the project. As the project evolves, documentation requirements may change, using a consistent templated approach ensures that your documentation is available and easy to understand for future use.

sight and daily reporting on all phases of submarine cable projects. Back in November of 2022 we introduced PM 2.0 which was a significant enhancement to its situational project management solution for monitoring these operational phases (see SubTel Forum Magazine #127 – Data Centers and New Technologies, pg. 58-59). Traditionally, reporting has been done with Daily Progress Reports (DPRs) sent via email to the client and in March of 2023 a series of major enhancements to PM 2.0 was released. With PM 3.0, data collected are even more comprehensive, reports are created in real-time, notifications are created and sent automatically, data is fully searchable, and everything is wrapped in a user friendly dashboard complete with geographic context.

THE CHALLENGE

We developed PM 2.0 as a virtual management tool in partnership with Smartsheet and in compliance with the requirements of ISO 27001:2013 and 27002:2013 information security standards. The web-based Operations Dashboard enables our clients to monitor project health and progress from anywhere in the world and on any device.

Users see all relevant information on a single screen, allowing them to review project status at-a-glance. We linked Dashboard elements to data provided in-office and, where applicable, in-field and provide real-time status updates.

With feedback from clients, it became apparent we had an opportunity to take our existing solution to the next level, but it would require introduction of new tools and some forward thinking from our teams. Managers wanted more information collected and secured but also wanted access to it supporting more comprehensive analysis of that data without the need to be geographic information technology experts or data scientists. They required additional analytical touch points without creation of a complex interactive tools to support it. It was also imperative that the cost to create, utilize and update the technology was in line with tight budgetary restrictions and short deployment notifications.

PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS

THE SOLUTION

SMARTSHEET™ POWERED PROJECT DASHBOARDS

PM 2.0 utilizes customizable communications of needto-know data. In-field personnel submit reporting to the PM 2.0 system and the client can customize notifications.

When personnel submit or update a report, our system employs a variety of web hooks capable of sending email or SMS messages.

Onboarding a Cable System ProjectAs a part of our PM 2.0 system, we provide a customized and secure Smartsheet Dashboard specifically for the cable system project for the purpose of housing we deliverables, which is based in the PM 2.0 system and available for the client during the project effort and beyond. We also provide training and onboarding support to Client project management and associated stakeholders.

PM 3.0 2023 ENHANCEMENTS AND BEYOND INTRODUCTION

We provide client representatives tasked with over-

48 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

PM 3.0 DPR On-Demand dashboards became the solution. As part of the upgrade we reviewed every aspect of the previous system and based on that decided to do a complete overhaul using the latest ESRI technology stack. Often that meant testing component upgrades with the existing technology. If the upgrade provided increased performance and reliability it was implemented. This instantly enhanced the underlying platform which in turn supported near-term and future development. By utilizing the latest GIS technology, we were able to standardize and streamline project specific operational dashboard creation and deployment.

Following the less visible engineering work, our development team worked through UI/UX enhancements that would present fast, clear and visual management, production and quality metrics to client management and executive staff. Three reporting pages provide project health, budget and scheduling data so users have a detailed picture of the project at any time during its life-cycle. Additionally,

a project specific planning curve was implemented to test customer interest in having an interactive planning tool directly on the dashboard that could reflect current project data and milestones.

The user experience needed to function as a logical interface and it was critical every widget, list and filter would provide some information even if they were not actually being clicked. This was accomplished essentially by implementing a hierarchical filtering schema and clickable lists comprised of a summary button and an icon that when pressed presented a greater level of DPR detail for that day. Any photos, contract or project docs are more efficiently stored in data repositories that don’t bloat documents and are logically searchable for immediate and future review.

Data collection and dissemination enhancements were the next significant milestones in upgrading to PM 3.0.

Over 50+ data points are now being collected that span the entire management and technical process associated with creation of a single DPR. But simply collecting more data wasn’t enough. We wanted to provide search functionality so clients wouldn’t have to know exactly what DPR they wanted to see. They can now search by keyword, phase, date range and vessel within the data base or while viewing the map and supporting components within the dashboard.

And when a feature is found other related items are also highlighted appropriately.

With data collection being more comprehensive it was imperative that its transmission would not be impacted by interruptions in a vessels comms. Field reps can conduct DPR data input in a single session or multiple sessions across multiple days and submit them to the database.

If comms are down on the submitting vessel the DPR submission will happen automatically once comms are restored. If for some reason the submission is done again by the rep and an exact copy already exists in the database it will not result in multiple submissions which could skew the data analysis. When a DPR is successfully created and its underlying data securely placed in the database, dashboard metrics are updated, the DPR is created as a PDF, the DPR position is placed on a map base visualization, a summary is linked to an icon on a map and an automated message to that affect are transmitted to project leadership. Within seconds the entire project enterprise is updated. Should there be a failure at any point during production the We project admin is notified so correction protocols can be implemented.

The added data collection does come with a need to ensure all field reps are fully trained in the latest data collec-

tion techniques. All reps are put through a comprehensive training session guided by corporate quality assurance and ISO quality requirements.

THE IMPACT

The upgrade from PM 2.0 to PM 3.0 goes beyond just a more useful geospatially interesting view of an existing submarine cable project. It delivers on the need for more comprehensive data collection and analysis in a rapidly developing project lifecycle. It also allows merging with existing systems should there be a relationship between the two. The net result is a complete visualization and analysis tool providing real-time situational awareness of your submarine cable project.

FUTURE INNOVATIONS

As we look forward to 2024 we will continue to build on the PM 3.0 DPR On-Demand system. We will be adding Executive level project monitoring information visualizations that leverage the latest developments but presented in a more traditional executive dashboard. We would allow customized pages that could include broader data layers to include weather, S-63 vector based charts, Marine Mammal Observance (MMO) data and even video.

Finally, we will expand the background maps available for selection so users can have a more customized user experience. It’s shaping up to be an exciting 2024 for PM 3.0 operational dashboards. STF KRISTIAN NIELSEN is based in the main office in Sterling, Virginia USA. He has more than 14 years’ experience and knowledge in submarine cable systems, including Arctic and offshore Oil & Gas submarine fiber systems. As Quality & Fulfilment Director, he supports the Projects and Technical Directors, and reviews subcontracts and monitors the prime contractor, supplier, and is astute with Change Order process and management. He is responsible for contract administration, as well as supports financial monitoring. He possesses Client Representative experience in submarine cable load-out, installation and landing stations, extensive project logistics and engineering support, extensive background in administrative and commercial support and is an expert in due diligence.

GREG REINECKE has focused on providing geospatial, data analytics and visualization project services across a range of disciplines. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University and has been focused on geospatial subsea cable spatial analysis. He is a geospatial data technologist with 30+ years of experience using GIS to create dashboards, design application components, develop data analysis programs and spatial program business development in DoD, Federal, State, Local and commercial markets at global, regional and local scales.

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 49

FEATURE

50 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

AVAILABLE TO READ NOW! the 2023/2024

INDUSTRY REPORT MAIN TOPICS FOR THIS YEAR’S REPORT INCLUDE: • • • • •

Global Overview Capacity System Ownership Supplier Analysis System Maintenance

• • • •

Cableships Market Drivers and Influencers Special Markets Regional Analysis and Capacity Outlook

CLICK HERE TO READ NOW! NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 51

FEATURE UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF

TERRESTRIAL BACKHAUL NETWORKS TO END-TO-END SUBMARINE NETWORK SERVICES

BY BRIAN LAVALLÉE, RICHARD NORRIS, DARWIN EVANS, SERGEJS MARKOVEJS, LIDIA GALDINO, AND PASCAL PECCI

T

here’s a critical symbiotic relationship between submarine and terrestrial networks and operators, which is the foundation of the global internet and associated socioeconomic benefits enjoyed by all connected citizens of Earth.

Submarine cable networks are critical infrastructure in an increasingly connected world, but they are only part of the end-to-end connection story, as traditional Communications Service Provider (CSP) central offices and Internet Content Provider (ICP) data centers can be located tens to hundreds of kilometers inland. This means that the terres-

trial network segments on each end of any submarine cable are critical parts of the end-to-end story for Data Center Interconnection (DCI) applications, and even non-DCI services terminating in traditional telecom central offices.

TRADITIONAL SUBMARINE NETWORK AND TERRESTRIAL NETWORK DEMARCATION

Traditional submarine cables traversed ocean floors and were terminated in Cable Landing Stations (CLSs) on or very close to the coastlines. They were then connected to terrestrial backhaul networks on both ends of the subma-

Figure 1: Distinct, yet interconnected, submarine networks and terrestrial networks.

52 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

Figure 2: Traditional 3R (Reamplify, Reshape, Retime) regeneration stage.

rine cables that terminated services initially in central offices but increasingly in data centers, as shown in Figure 1. It was common for submarine cables to be owned by multiple owners in a consortium, connected to two different terrestrial network operators. Because of a clear demarcation between these three networks, the cables were often designed in isolation from one another, with only the total amount of landed submarine cable capacity considered by terrestrial backhaul network operators. The optical transmission modem technology in Submarine Line Terminal Equipment (SLTE) and Terrestrial Line Terminal Equipment (TLTE) could be, and often was, different.

Between the SLTE and TLTE, 3R (Reamplify, Reshape, Retime) regeneration was performed by REGENs via an Optical-Electrical-Optical (OEO) stage. In other words, the signals received from the submarine cable were “cleaned up” and matched to the terrestrial backhaul network line system of optical Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFAs) and optical fiber type. Although submarine and terrestrial backhaul networks were interconnected, they were distinct networks owned and managed by different operators that often chose their fiber types in isolation with just capacity having to match.

OPTICAL BYPASS

The advent of coherent optical transmission, initially adopted by TLTE but rapidly adapted to SLTE, changed how submarine networks—and the terrestrial backhaul networks at each end—were designed. When coherent optical trans-

mission technology was used in conjunction with Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs), the Optical Bypass architecture was rapidly implemented. The combination of these two technologies allowed for simpler end-to-end network designs, overland and undersea, that not only removed a lot of equipment, but also resulted in network designs that did away with multiple CLS OEO stages—meaning less equipment, power, space, and lower overall latency, as shown in Figure 3. These simpler network designs enabled higher capacities at a much lower per bit cost.

As shown in Figure 3, the SLTE is moved inland and a ROADM is placed in the CLS to perform traffic switching of wavelengths and spectrum, as well as wet plant power management. And, as the telecom industry moves towards greater openness, the Open Cable business model has been adopted by the submarine networking market. This provides submarine cable operators with a broader vendor ecosystem to accelerate innovation via greater choice to design bestin-breed submarine networks.

Although there are several benefits to the much simpler Optical Bypass architecture, it does raise some challenges that must be addressed. Given the SLTE is moved inland on the other side of the terrestrial backhaul network and the OEO regeneration stages are eliminated, the end-toend network performance must now consider the terrestrial backhaul network and submarine network line systems comprised of optical amplifiers, ROADMs, and the fiber itself.

The latter is the focus of this article, where the performance and selection of terrestrial backhaul network fiber cannot be

Figure 3: Simpler end-to-end network design via coherent optical transmission (GeoMesh Extreme).

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 53

FEATURE

Figure 4: Open cable business model providing greater choice.

made in isolation from the wet plant, as the SLTE coherent optical transmission occurs over all three segments.

ADVANCED TERRESTRIAL OPTICAL FIBERS

The two key optical fiber characteristics that affect transmission performance are attenuation and Aeff (effective area). The benefit of ultra-low attenuation is well understood and seen as a good measure for glass purity with the outcome being the lower total amount of noise accumulated from the chain of optical amplifiers. On the other hand, the use of large Aeff fibers has historically been less common in terrestrial networks.

It was not until late 2016 when the ITU-T ratified the use of large Aeff fibers, paving the way toward a significant growth of such fiber deployment over the past several years. The simplest way to visualize the impact of fiber Aeff, is to consider that in those fibers the light is spread over a wider fiber cross-section area compared to a regular fiber, as shown in Figure 5. This mitigates the impact of nonlinear impairments while allowing for a higher optical launch power into the fiber to increase the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). To maximize overall transmission performance, fiber attenuation must be decreased, and its effective area increased while maintaining acceptable bend performance and single-mode transmission behavior.

Optical fiber types with these characteristics are referred to as “advanced.”

The importance of such advanced fibers is especially pronounced in Optical Bypass network designs, as shown in Figure 3. As the length of the terrestrial backhaul network increases, the submarine cable capacity is reduced. This an undesirable effect since every Terabit per Second (Tb/s) worth of submarine cable capacity has a monetary value associated with it. So, losing capacity means leaving money on the table for a reduced overall Return on Investment

54 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

(ROI). The choice of terrestrial backhaul network fiber cannot undo the effect of submarine cable capacity reduction, but it can significantly mitigate it. In other words, the use of advanced terrestrial fibers can preserve some of the high-value submarine cable network capacity when compared to regular G.652.D fibers and even more so, legacy G.655 fibers.

In areas where deploying new cable routes represents a viable option, advanced terrestrial fibers should always be

Figure 5: Visualizing the benefit associated with large fiber Aeff.

considered. Modern cable designs can contain mixed fiber types, allowing for a scenario where a certain portion of the cable consists of an advanced fiber to provide transit of submarine cable traffic terrestrially, while the remainder of the cable consists of a regular G.652.D fiber to serve more Table 1: Submarine cable key parameters used in the study.

Parameter

Value

Cable length

7,000km

Number of repeaters

100

Average span length

70km

Fibre type

Corning® Vascade® EX2500

Fibre loss/km

0.149 dB/km

Fibre Aeff

125 um2

Chromatic dispersion

20.8 ps/nm/km

Repeater TOP

16.5 dBm

Repeater gain

10.6 dB

Repeater noise figure

4.5 dB

Repeater spectrum

4.5 THz

Manufacturing margin

1 dB

Figure 6: Modelling study network diagram used.

conventional bandwidth needs. Assuming the latest transOPTICAL FIBER STUDY AND RESULTS atlantic Spatial Division Multiplexing (SDM) cable design To investigate the impact of different terrestrial optical fiber containing 24 Fiber Pairs (FPs), one would need at least types on overall end-to-end performance and capacity, we 48 advanced fibers in the terrestrial backhaul network to conducted a study using a reference submarine cable comdirectly map each submarine bined with a range of terrestrial fiber to each terrestrial fiber. backhaul networks. The perTable 2: Submarine cable performance.

It’s recommended the overformance of each end-to-end Item Result all number of fibers per submaroute, overland and undersea, Cable GSNR 12.3 dB rine cable accurately reflects was recorded and then the future needs as well. As we get capacity was determined using Fiber Pair (FP) capacity 24.7 Tb/s ever closer to the Shannon Cathe latest generation of Ciena’s Cable capacity 593 Tb/s pacity Limit, spectral efficiency WaveLogic 6 Extreme modems (overall capacity) per fiber is and 6500 Reconfigurable Line quickly saturating—meaning new SLTE technology cannot System (RLS). The design of the submarine cable was fixed provide massive step increases in submarine cable capacity throughout allowing the impact of just the terrestrial backhaul to address ever-growing global bandwidth growth. Future network to be clearly understood. The end-to-end network SLTE upgrades will still provide increases, albeit smaller used in the modelling study is shown in Figure 6. The key improvements in spectral efficiency gains and total capacparameters used for the submarine cable are shown in Table 1. ities achieved with far fewer modems, resulting in greener Using the key parameters shown in Table 1, we simulatnetwork designs. High-fiber-count SDM cables allow us ed the performance of just the submarine cable to deterto “sidestep” the Shannon Capacity Limit by leveraging mine the Generalized Signal-to-Noise Ratio (GSNR) and more FPs for higher overall submarine cable capacities, even the associated capacity. The capacity value includes industry though the per FP capacity is lower than traditional nonstandard margins and is for a 24 FP SDM cable. The simuSDM wet plants. The vast increase in SDM wet plant calation work produced the results shown in Table 2. pacities makes terrestrial network fiber selection even more With the submarine cable performance and capacity critical for optimized end-to-end network performance. used as a baseline, we then investigated the impact of exTable 3: Terrestrial backhaul network route ranges.

Fibre Type

Span Length (km)

Number of Spans

Total Length (km)

Vascade EX2500

70

1 to 7

70 to 490

Vascade EX2500

100

1 to 5

100 to 500

SMF-28 Ultra

70

1 to 7

70 to 490

SMF-28 Ultra

100

1 to 5

100 to 500

NZDSF (G.655)

70

1 to 7

70 to 490

NZDSF (G.655)

100

1 to 5

100 to 500

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 55

FEATURE Table 4: Terrestrial fiber key parameters used in the study.

Item

Vascade EX2500

SMF-28 Ultra

NZDSF

Effective area (μm2)

125

80

72

Loss/km (dB/km)

0.149

0.181

0.25

Chromatic dispersion @ 1550nm (ps/nm/km)

20.8

17

4.5

Polarization mode dispersion (ps/√km)

0.1

0.1

0.1

Nonlinear index (n2) (m^2/W)

2.1x10-20

2.3x10-20

2.3x10-20

Non-linear coefficient (W^-1 km^-1)

0.68

1.16

1.3

Peak Raman gain coefficient (km^1*W^-1)

0.2

0.41

0.45

Splice loss to self (dB)

0.03

0.03

0.03

Splice loss to 80 µm2 pigtails (dB)

0.1

0.03

0.05

Length between splices (km)

6

6

6

Head/tail patch loss (dB)

0.5

0.5

0.5

Span margin (dB)

1

1

1

tending services over a range of terrestrial backhaul network routes. The range of such routes included three different fiber types, two different span lengths, and total lengths up to 500km. The terrestrial backhaul network equipment used in the study is the latest generation of Ciena products with only EDFAs used; no RAMAN amplification was used in the network designs. The range of terrestrial backhaul network routes is shown in Table 3.

The three fiber types used represent a range with Vascade EX2500 fiber providing the best transmission performance and aligned to that used in the submarine cable. SMF-28 Ultra fiber is a medium option with reduced performance compared to Vascade EX2500 fiber. Finally, a non-zero dispersion shifted fiber (NZDSF) has a lower performance than the other two fiber types. The key parameters for the three fiber types are shown in Table 4.

The final stage of the study was to combine the submarine cable with each terrestrial backhaul option and look at the total end-toend performance and asso-

56 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

ciated capacity. This was done based on the latest generation of Ciena equipment with transponders at the end points only (no intermediate regeneration). The GSNR versus terrestrial distance versus fiber type results are shown in Figure 7 below. The standard Ciena solution uses a Dynamic Gain Equalizer (DGE) after 4 terrestrial spans, which can be seen as a slight performance improvement in each plot.

Figure 7: End-to-end system performance.

Figure 8: End-to-end system capacity.

The end-to-end submarine cable plus terrestrial backhaul system performance can then be translated into per FP capacity to see the impact of the different terrestrial fiber types. Figure 8 illustrates the end-to-end per FP capacity versus terrestrial backhaul network distance versus fiber type.

INTERPRETING THE STUDY FINDINGS

It can clearly be seen that the terrestrial network backhaul design has a significant impact on total end-to-end system performance and associated capacity. The performance reduction with terrestrial backhaul network length is relatively linear. Network designs based on Vascade EX2500 fiber in the terrestrial section have the lowest end-to-end performance reduction of all fibers studied in this work.

The span lengths of the terrestrial backhaul networks also impact end-to-end system performance, although by a different amount per fiber type. Designs based on Vascade EX2500 fiber have a small performance difference between the design with 70km spans versus the design with 100km spans. This is expected, as fiber loss is very low, so terrestrial network EDFAs are operating with good margins. Designs based on SMF-28 Ultra fiber exhibit a similarly small span-dependent performance variation since the fiber loss is still relatively low, although the absolute performance is lower compared to Vascade EX2500 fiber, as noted earlier.

However, NZDSF-based designs show a large performance difference between 70km and 100km span designs. This is because of fiber loss being high at 0.25dB/km and span loss at 100km being at the upper edge of the EDFA performance range.

BUSINESS BENEFITS OF THE STUDY RESULTS TO CABLE BUYERS

Every terrestrial backhaul network should be designed with specific submarine cable network capacity requirements from an end-to-end perspective. While we should always work to design high-quality terrestrial backhaul network spans for optical performance and network availability purposes, terrestrial extensions of submarine cables require special consideration for optimal optical performance.

Submarine cables are very expensive, and FPs are limited in quantity with a very long lead-time to build more, so unnecessarily losing submarine cable capacity must be avoided.

Over the past decade, submarine cable designs have evolved from high Total Output Power (TOP) for repeaters (20dBm and higher), high Aeff (150um2) fiber, and high capacity per FP (25Tb/s and higher) to an SDM design, which is more energy efficient and allows for 300Tb/s to 500Tb/s total cable transatlantic capacities while leveraging existing Power Feed Equipment (PFE). SDM cables leverage repeater (undersea EDFA) pump-sharing technology where optical pump power is shared between multiple (typically four) FPs and provides up to 24 FPs—with higher fiber counts already being discussed. Over transatlantic distances, the per-FP capacity has been decreased by 20% (typically 20Tb/s now versus 25Tb/s previously) and the submarine cable SNR reduced by multiple dBs. With new terrestrial fiber types, the penalty associated with concatenating submarine and terrestrial backhaul networks can be reduced one step further. Consequently, for a submarine cable buyer, we must decide where regeneration should be done, knowing the target is to limit the lost NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 57

FEATURE submarine cable capacity and ensure the power and space required for SLTE regeneration is at the right physical location, as it’s not always possible to have the required space and power available in a CLS. If we consider submarine cable systems are $30K to $50K per km, a 7,000km transatlantic submarine cable can cost upwards of $350M. Increasing the terrestrial network length from 0km to 500km results in a capacity loss of ~15% and a monetary loss of ~$52.5M, when using SMF-28 Ultra fiber. Using NZDSF results in a higher capacity loss of ~23% and monetary loss of ~$80M. Using a more advanced fiber, like Vascade EX2500, capacity loss is reduced by ~10% with a lower monetary loss of ~$35M. In other words, Vascade EX2500 fiber, compared to SMF-28 Ultra, provides an additional monetary value of $17.5M, which is significant in terms of reducing the total cost of ownership.

This work excludes additional costs associated with securing rights of way and new cable deployment on the terrestrial side, which can be very high and can prevent the deployment of the new cable, particularly if there is a cable that is already in the ground. That said, deploying a new cable may be a matter of necessity, if the optical quality of the old cable has decreased below the acceptable level, or if there is no existing cable in the first place. In some cases, however, the terrestrial carriers may have multiple ducts (or miniducts) that are already present in the ground, and those ducts may be empty. If so, the new cable can simply be pulled or jetted through the existing ducts, thus significantly reducing the new cable installation costs. To further accelerate Ready for Service (RFS) dates, submarine cable and terrestrial backhaul network permits should be managed in parallel to avoid additional delays.

NO ‘ONE SIZE FITS ALL’

In conclusion, there’s no one-size-fits-all network design answer for terrestrial backhaul networks attached to the ends of typical submarine cables, although one should always aspire to choose the best performance fiber in the terrestrial section, if possible. Configurations (regeneration in the CLS as opposed to a location several to hundreds of kilometers inland) must be carefully studied in advance, taking into account the availability of required power and space, the impact of the terrestrial backhaul networks on overall end-toend total capacity, the possibility to lease terrestrial backhaul network fiber, and in particular, the terrestrial backhaul span distances and associated losses, as well as fiber quality. As illustrated in the study, new terrestrial fiber types provide operators with greater choice and performance. STF

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BRIAN LAVALLÉE is Senior Director of Solutions Marketing with global responsibility for various segments including 5G, Submarine, Edge Cloud, Satellite, and others. An industry veteran, he has more than 20 years of telecommunications experience with previous roles in Product Line Management, Systems & Network Engineering, Research & Development, Business Development, and Operations. In his career, he’s worked in numerous areas related to packet and optical networks from access to submarine networks, and everything in between.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Concordia University and an MBA in Marketing & International Business from McGill University, both located in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

DARWIN EVANS is the Director of Product Line Management for submarine applications at Ciena. In this role, he is responsible for creating the roadmap for Ciena’s modem and photonic submarine solutions. Prior to joining Ciena, Darwin worked in several engineering and product development roles at Nortel Networks until the acquisition of the Nortel Metro Ethernet Networks division by Ciena in 2010. He has served in his current role at the company since 2015. Darwin received his B.S. in computer engineering from the University of Manitoba.

RICHARD NORRIS is Senior Director of Global Submarine System Engineering at Ciena, with responsibility for submarine solution technical sales and development. Well established in the telecom industry for 25 years, Richard works for both vendors and operators, and first became involved in submarine networking in the 1990s, where he was the technical representative on a number of new cable consortia projects. Since then, Richard has held various leadership positions at Ciena, where he continues to be heavily involved with the submarine networking industry He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Central Lancashire and resides in the UK. PASCAL PECCI is Submarine Cable Systems Engineer at Meta.

He worked during 25 years for Alcatel (Lucent, Submarine) in terrestrial (15 years) and submarine (10 years) networks as researcher, designer, Product Line Manager, Marketing Responsible and Technical Project Manager. He is a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff. Since 2023 he joined Meta as a Senior Submarine Cable Systems Engineer and is leading multiple submarine projects.

SERGEJS MAKOVEJS, Sr. is Commercial Technology Associate at Corning. Sergejs Makovejs has global responsibility for market development and product strategy for long-haul and subsea fibers at Corning. He received a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from UCL, UK in 2011 and an Executive MBA from Warwick Business School, UK in 2019. Sergejs has authored >60 papers in the field of optical fiber communications. He is a regular presenter and a frequent member of technical subcommittees at major industry events.

LIDIA GALDINO is a System Engineering Manager at Corning, responsible for defining and driving long-haul terrestrial and submarine optical fiber and cable product strategy. She received a Ph.D. from University of Campinas. She is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Lightwave Technology, and serves on several technical program committees, including OFC and ECOC. She has authored > 100 peer-reviewed papers on optical fiber communication systems.

FEATURE PART 1

SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEMS: CAPACITY, CONNECTIVITY AND BANDWIDTH

BY DEREK CASSIDY

S

ubmarine cables have a long history, from the early days of the mid 1800s right up to present day. The technology has undergone a huge transformation with one underlying theme: capacity, connectivity, and bandwidth.

As submarine cables extend their tentacles across the seabed in search of far-off distant lands, the 1s and 0s that flow through their optical fibres like blood flowing through veins.

It is not hard to think of this submarine network as a web of communication reaching out and connecting the various Cable Stations and Data Centres, keeping society connected. With the world finally coming through a change that effectively put the industrial and digital revolution into overdrive with increased internet demands, yet also nearly putting society into a suspended animation and separation from the workforce.

The world as we know it has changed so much that the interaction between industry and society has evolved new rules of communication and cooperation in the commercial and working space. Critically needed change is needed in

the team and collaborative working communication space as the interpersonal interaction between peoples, groups and colleagues has taken a huge setback. Team interaction, due to the lack of face-to-face collaboration effectively went off a cliff edge in 2020. But teamwork and collaboration have been identified as a very effective way to cross-pollinate ideas and develop solutions, it has been seen that these face-toface interactions, responsiveness and “water cooler” moments do in fact deliver the game changing ideas that push industry, society, and innovation forward. Many national and international technology driven industries embraced the working at home philosophy, but it soon became apparent that this was not the solution and a new hybrid version that encompassed both the working at home and office environment, when teams and colleagues interact, was needed and quickly.

However, during this world changing event, that was Covid, it was noticed that the internet and its network were not ready when it came to the huge demand that was trust upon it and soon network operators were tearing up their NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 59

FEATURE 5-year digital transformation and network design plans for new ones that would be capable of meeting this new increased demand for bandwidth. The new plans were no longer hopeful progressive moves towards a fully digitized and capacity heavy network; they were plans that required upheaval within the planning, design and operation departments to deliver the next 5-year project, NOW. The mainstay of any optical system is the optical fibre that is the most important technology and transmission component. In traditional terrestrial networks the use of G652D and G654 optical systems are common using DWDM and new multiplexing methodologies to help with error free high-capacity propagation. In submarine systems the fibre itself is usually manufactured to G.654.x standard and is specified by the submarine cable design authority within the specific organisation. The fibre itself can carry a certain amount of capacity, as long as it does not compromise signal to noise ratio or as already said reach the Shannon Limit. Or as represented below in the formula where C is capacity and B is optical channel bandwidth.

But the amount of capacity on an optical fibre is dependent on the channel GHz spacing deployed and the wavelength band used within the optical spectrum. Typical submarine cable systems will operate in the conventional band or 1530nm to 1565nm wavelength spectrum. There is only a finite number of channels that an optical fibre can accommodate. They are usually 10Gb, 100Gb or 400Gb in bandwidth. Although 10Gb is not usually used anymore as a single channel as 100Gb and the newer 400Gb channels are now seeing some traction within the submarine cable world. However, to deploy multiple 100Gb wavelengths you can operate your DWDM system at 50Hz spacing, but 400Gb needs 75GHz spacing minimum. So, to allow for a mix of bandwidths a Flexgrid system can contain both 100Gb and 400Gb channels to try and maximise capacity. This is achieved by employing a mix of GHz spacing techniques from 50GHz, 75GHz to 100GHz all depending on the optical channel bandwidth and capacity required.

But that’s not the end of it, there are other issues associated with high-capacity systems being amplified over long distances. Issues such as refractive index change due to high power intensity, Keer Effect, Chromatic Dispersion, Optical Amplifier Flooding and high Optical Power, transient power effects and other non-linear effects. All these will be discussed in a later paper, but they all need identifying and

60 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

controlling to effectively get your signal across the submarine cable without erroring.

There are other fibre types on the horizon that can offer an even better opportunity to increase bandwidth. The fibres are called multi-core fibres or MCF and they are taking optical fibre technology to the next level. Originally investigated as crystal photonics but this research took a turn and went onto to develop the multiple core optical fibre. Designs with 2, 4 and 8 optical cores in a single optical fibre have been designed with the 2 and 4 core fibre cable now being developed for submarine cable systems.

Each optical core has the same capability of a single core; therefore, the optical fibre can have twice or four times the capacity of a single core G.654.x fibre. This type of design opens the door to reaching the 1PB systems. It must be noted that the non-linear and linear effects that affect single core fibres also have the same effect on multi-core fibres, however, the issue with cross talk is an added issue.

The optical core, whether it be a single or multi-core fibre, still has to deal with the issue of optical amplification in the form of optical power. To much can distort the system bandwidth capability, to little can increase erroring and signal loss. The effective area of the optical core still applies and is very important in calculating signal strength, amplification and attenuation.

The following formula looks complicated, but it is really a calculation of the cross-sectional area of the optical core of an optical fibre, but it also relates to the mode field area and also takes into account the non-linear attributes of the specific fibre type along with the numerical aperture as well.

It is no longer accepted that the area of an optical core is the πr2. This calculation with allow the designer to understand the true area. Are now being utilised operate with these new pumping arrangements. The benefit of these systems is that they can create a design where multiple pumps will share their output with multiple fibre pairs. This helps to create a However, repeated submarine systems would not normally have the same high fibre count. Operators and submarine cable owners are looking at the idea of increasing the fibre count from the usual 4 and 8 fibre pair to 12 and possibly 16 fibre pairs. Up until recently the capacity of a submarine cable was always identified on the number of fibres and the capacity of each fibre pair. This could be as high as 240Tbs etc. However, it was reliant on the full capacity of each fibre

pair being reached and making each fibre a connected separated system within a system. But the ability of a submarine cable to fully utilise its capacity would mean each fibre pair being connected to its own transmission equipment and being matched to the optical amplifiers etc. Each fibre had its own amplifier and so the requirement for higher fibre counts also meant higher amplifiers as well.

Submarine networks, the silent partner within the network family, working away in the background was about to get a rude awakening. Ever since the 1800s submarine cable technology has been affected by revolutionary changes in technology. Capacity is the main driver behind these new developments in submarine cable technology. Since 1986, and the first optical submarine cable, the availability of higher bandwidths and more capacity was now feasible and reachable instead of just being a pipedream. The optical fibre within this cable package would help push this evolutionary process of increased capacity forward. Money and return on investment, profits, and connectivity, meeting the 5x9’s of uptime demanded by the corporate giants and financial institutions would also drive this need for more information, faster.

Traditional optical terrestrial fibre cable systems have taken on a new approach where they have increased in fibre pairs from the traditional 8 and 12 fibre pair cables to the new 512 fibre pair and above. These new high-fibre count cables are being rolled out across metro networks with their primary objective to connect Data Centres and neutral co-location exchanges. However, the 240-fibre cable is still, predominately, being installed as a network backbone and access core by many telecom operators as its seen as the new standard in optical terrestrial connectivity. The increased fibre count helps to increase the system capacity, which aligned with increased bandwidth helps to meet the demand. However, as technology advances and internet activity increase there is also a need to increase capacity, bandwidth and connectivity.

Connectivity is the uppermost concern for every cable operator, being able to connect between countries, continents, and markets. Submarine cable stations were always seen as the main connection point or submarine cable terminals. However, with the increase in demand and with changes to the network design Data Centres are now coming into the frame as the next cable station. Data Centres, with the exception to the Hyperscalers, have full connectivity to all the network operators and are ideal placed to become the next Submarine Cable Station. Power, onward and low latency connectivity come together to offer a platform that can offer full network integration, especially for Neutral Cables and

However traditional submarine cable systems had lower fibre counts, especially the repeated systems with 4 or 6 fibre pairs. But newer un-repeated submarine cable systems have seen an increase in fibre numbers from the original 12 fibre pair to new 144 fibre systems. As these un-repeated systems usually cross small stretches of water covering distances up to 260Kms they are more than likely to be a neutral carrier cable. These systems offer the potential to increase network footprint and allow existing network operators a diversity option or operators who do not own their own submarine cable system the chance to build their very own international network by taking out long leases or IRUs for fibre pairs on these cables. Having the ability to own and operate your own international network without the headache of having the worry about maintenance and repair costs etc. is seen as a big win for many.

These un-repeated high fibre count cables, which are making their presence known, can attract customers and offer a way to develop international connectivity without the need to invest in submarine cable manufacturing, installation, and maintenance costs. Customers can lease as many fibres as they can afford and build their networks, accordingly, only be subject to the capable capacity that can be achieved per fibre pair. However, with a higher fibre count cable comes with the issues of repair times and costs etc. With a standard 24 fibre cable joint replacement or installation at sea takes between 17 and 24 hours to complete, the higher fibre cables will take a lot longer, and that depends on the efficiency of the joint replacement and the weather. The more fibres mean a longer repair. However, the advantage of this type of cable is greater connectivity. Network owned and managed un-repeated submarine cables would not normally include higher fibre count cables unless they are also in the business of leasing out dark fibre pairs. However, being an owner of a high fibre count cable that operates on a basis of offering dark fibre on an IRU or lease basis does not negate the responsibility for operations and maintenance etc. As we all know this is a costly business and undergoing a repair is costlier and can include operational customer penalties. The glass fibre is the currency in these situations and making sure it allows for high speed and high-capacity transmission and always offering a 5 x 9 uptime capability in an environment that can be very hostile can be very challenging.

Neutral Carriers has seen an increased interest in their offering from the first cables coming into service around 2011. The ability to offer the ability to be international without the extra added costs of licencing, permitting and maintenance was a keen driver in attracting customers, esNOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 61

FEATURE pecially the Hyperscalers. However there has been a change in the landscape of submarine cable ownership. From the original owner-operator to the joint ventures and then the neutral cable systems that are still relatively new to the new privately owned cable systems being built by the Hyperscalers fraternity. These new cable systems are also breaking new ground in the technology innovation all in the name of increased capacity and bandwidth.

But a new approach to amplification of optical fibre pairs is now taking place within submarine cable systems. This new design has come into service recently operating a new shared amplifier optical pump arrangement that helps with the overall power terminal equipment deployment, helping to reduce its footprint. Optical fibre designs that include larger effective areas that require a change pump power and pump sharing per fibre is now being used. Pump farming as it is called is the idea that a number of fibres can share a number of amplifiers. This allows for an increase in fibre count. It also has the added benefit that if a pump fails it does not mean a fibre pair is out of action. Because of the pump farming scheme, the fibre pair still has access to optical amplification and so the system stays in operational mode. The traditional repeated systems would lose a fibre pair is a pump/amplifier failed, but this new pump farming method overcomes that and is more efficient.

As said above the traditional repeated submarine systems worked on getting as much capacity out of a fibre pair, efficiently and cost effectively. However, this would also push the signal or traffic closer to the Shannon Limit. But with an increased fibre count the capacity can be increased across the full fibre count rather than just a fibre pair. By using the pump farming method of optical amplification across multiple fibre pairs the capacity can be increased across all fibre pairs. The theoretical capacity of the cable does not need to be reached, which would be very close to the limit of error free traffic. But the cable could still operate pretty close to full capacity shared across multiple fibres. This new design is called space division multiplexing or SDM. This type of multiplexing technique was introduced into the first submarine cable system in 2009 and has seen an increased demand for usage ever since. However, it is the new cables from 2018 that are utilising this technique.

SDM submarine systems can utilise higher fibre counts from 8,12 and 16 fibre pairs all tightly bundled together within the same space and protection provided by the cable vault. The ability to use the pump farming technique is the principal idea behind SDM systems. By sharing the amplifier functionality and optical gain across multiple fibres allows for an increased efficient amplifier system that helps

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with increased capacity and also offers amplifier diversity.

An amplifier failure will no longer mean a system is out of action, in fact it is still operational and continues to operate efficiently, notwithstanding that an amplifier is dead, which will need replacing under a scheduled outage.

With capacity now being shared across all the fibre pairs, although it will never get to the theoretical maximum capacity, the capability to reach a certain threshold can still offer a high bandwidth offering. But there are other techniques that help submarine systems create a fully connected system. The standard branching (BU) is another element of the submarine cable system that has taken a leap forward.

This is used when there are three or more submarine cable landing stations and connectivity is required between them.

The original BU had direct fibre connection, in that each fibre was routed between two different cable stations and were technically unmoveable or directly connected. The introduction of the enhanced branching unit (eBU) allows for optical switching between the different branches of the submarine cable system and allows for traffic to be directed between the different cable stations. The management of the eBU is controlled from the primary Network Operations centre (NOC). This introduction allows for quicker and more efficient traffic and capacity connectivity. It also offers flexibility and diversity. If one section of the cable is damaged, the traffic can be redirected through the eBU. Towards one of the other cable stations so that rerouting is possible. This allows for more uptime and traffic stability.

We are now in the era of the next generation submarine cable system with the capability od SDM, Flexgrid and eBU’s offering higher capacity and traffic routing capability. With the introduction of MCF fibres the capacity can increase by the number of cores at the systems disposal. The optical fibre, being at the heart of the transmission system is being pushed to its integral limits in exerting change in capacity and error free transmission. But there is a lot more to this which will be discussed in part 2. STF DEREK CASSIDY is doing a PhD in the field of Optical Engineering; Self-Written and Polymer Waveguide creation and Wavelength manipulation with UCD, Dublin. He is a Chartered Engineer with the IET and Past-Chair of IET Ireland. He is Chairman of the Irish Communications Research Group. He is also currently researching the Communication History of Ireland. He is a member of SPIE, OSA, IEEE and Engineers Ireland. He has patents in the area of Mechanical Engineering and author of over 30 papers on Optical Engineering. He has been working in the telecommunications industry for over 29 years managing submarine networks and technical lead on optical projects. Derek holds the following Degrees: BSc (Physics/Optical Engineering), BSc (Engineering Design), BEng (Structural/Mechanical Engineering), MEng (Structural, Mechanical, and Forensic Engineering) and MSc (Optical Engineering).

FEATURE

SANCTITY IN PERIL Evaluating the Subsea Cable Threat Landscape

BY DEVON A. JOHNSON

O

n August 16th, 1858, the Atlantic Telegraph Company successfully laid the first transatlantic submarine telegraph cable. The impact of such a momentous achievement was recorded in the telegraphic correspondence exchanged that very day between Queen Victoria and then president of the United States, James Buchanan, in which the latter relayed the following: It is a triumph more glorious, because far more useful to mankind, than was ever won by conquer on the field of battle. May the Atlantic Telegraph, under the blessing of Heaven, prove to be a bond of perpetual peace and friendship between the kindred nations, and an instrument destined by Divine Providence to diffuse religion, civilization, liberty and law throughout the world. In this view will not all nations of Christendom spontaneously unite in the declaration that it shall be for ever [sic] neutral, and that its communications shall

be held sacred in passing to their places of destination, even in the midst of hostilities?1 Over two hundred years later, submarine cables remain central to the facilitation of global telecommunications, realizing the diffusion of modern civilization’s communications as President Buchanan had imagined. They are the central nervous system of the internet, carrying between land masses the contemporary world’s most valuable commodity: data.

Yet, it is only in the past fifteen years that there has emerged within academic scholarship an awareness and accordance that the protection of the subsea cable system, not having been designed with security in mind, requires swift attention from governments, militaries and the private sector.

From sabotage to severance, the historical legacy of subsea infrastructure weaponization serves as a reminder that the threat to the sanctity of submarine cables is not new and, 1

Library of Congress, The telegraphic messages.

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FEATURE further yet, the broader system remains vulnerable to tactics of grey-zone warfare as well as overt, offensive operations.

Though public awareness of the infrastructure’s centrality remains low, subsea cable system security––both its vulnerabilities and threats––are increasingly recognized as a high priority within the defense community. As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote in his now-famous 2017 paper for Policy Exchange, “the threat [to subsea cables] is nothing short of existential”.2 But what is the most pressing threat facing the industry? What follows is an overview of the three most frequently postulated scenarios of subsea cable sabotage along with a qualitative assessment of their likelihood of occurrence.

PREFERENCE VS. PRECEDENCE

Subsea cable security, within the public sector, has had a rather swift vertical promotion on the ladder of priority. Naturally, raising awareness and facilitating discussions are key factors to increasing the topical engagement necessary for organizations to take targeted actions to protect this critical infrastructure. The reality is that the most substantial threat facing subsea cables at present, and in the past, are the seemingly mundane: fishing vessels. More specifically, it is the “mid-water to bottom trawl fishing, dredging, ships’ anchoring, and some recreational activities”.3 In 2021, according to the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), fifty to one-hundred cable faults per year were caused by fishing, the related activities accounting for nearly half of all reported cable faults since 1959.4 Though the call for an increase in cable protection zones has been proposed as a solution, the literature has been more forward-looking, concentrating on hypothetical scenarios in which subsea cables could be the target of malefic state-sponsored operations. Consideration has been given to state-actors (namely Russia and China) in addition to the types of attacks which may occur (physical or digital). However, the scholarship has yet to force rank these threats based on their likelihood of occurrence nor has there been a strong claim made as to which is the most pressing. Instead, the attention often spotlights the non-cyber threats, perhaps as

they are more easily comprehended or perhaps because they are simply more appealing and exciting. In short, the perception of the subsea cable threat landscape has been driven by the media’s appeals to readers’ pathos leading to the subject having gone from flying beneath the public’s radar to over pivoting to fearmongering.5 Precedence has been muddled by preference. As a result, there is an “enormous gap about what the risks are”.6 In an attempt to remedy this, what follows is a qualitative analysis of the three most commonly discussed threats to subsea cable infrastructure. Ultimately, cyber-related vulnerabilities are the most at risk and should thus be prioritized by the government and private sector.

But first, it is important to acknowledge that the following scenarios are all hypothetical. As a result, there are limitations to such an examination as future predictions offer little in the way of certainty. However, the criticality of subsea infrastructure demands a proactive approach to securing vulnerabilities, and both governments and telecommunications companies require prioritization to guide their measures and filter into their decision-making processes when strengthening the subsea cable system’s protection.

In 2017, reports made “clear that Russian forces have undertaken detailed monitoring and targeting activities in the vicinity of North-Atlantic deep-sea cable infrastructure”.

2

Sunak, “Undersea Cables,” 5.

4

Clare, “Submarine Cable Protection,” 5-6.

3

Carter et al, “Submarine Cables and the Oceans,” 12.

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A FAMILIAR GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE: RUSSIA

The construction of the [subsea] cable, and the operation that would be required to deflect, and decrypt, light from exposed fibre optics would make tapping a submarine cable extremely difficult, if not impossible, to do undetected and without damaging the cable/fibre.

Such notions are firmly within the realms of fiction.7 The most inflated and frequently discussed threat scenario implicates a familiar adversary: Russia. Subterfuge takes the form of a game of cat and mouse played both above and beneath the waves. In 2017, reports made “clear that Russian forces have undertaken detailed monitoring and targeting activities in the vicinity of North-Atlantic deep-sea cable infrastructure”.8 Operated by the Main Directorate of Deep5

A009, interview.

7

European Subsea Cables Association, “Submarine Telecommunications Cables.”

6 8

Ibid.

Sunak, “Undersea Cables,” 10.

Sea Research (GUGI), suspicious activity is conducted by intelligence-gathering surface ships disguised as research vessels such as Yantar and submarine motherships such as Belgorod which carry deep-diving submersibles like Losharik estimated to possess the capability to cut and tap the subsea cable network. In some ways, it is the threat we know best, harkening the days of submariners’ high-stakes tag, known as blind man’s bluff, a legacy of the frictional Cold War anti-submarine warfare (ASW) strategies and competition. Today, the plausible deniability afforded an antagonist participating in hybrid warfare is an advantageous buffer. As Admiral Stavridis wrote, “if the relative weakness of the Russian position makes a conventional conflict with NATO unlikely, it also raises the appeal of asymmetric targets like fibre-optic cables”.9 Industry professionals, however, are not overly concerned about the threat of intentional cable-cutting or tapping. For one, it is expensive and laborious. In the case of tapping, if one wished to acquire data traveling along subsea cables, there would be less barriers to doing so by targeting the termination points: cable landing stations. Furthermore, to ‘tap’ a fibre-optic cable, one must actually splice the cable, which is unlikely to be done “without an actual interruption”.10 With only a small number of states in possession of the capability to splice an underwater cable, attribution is an easier feat. In the case of cable cutting, the advent of SMART (sensor monitoring and reliable telecommunications) cables and distributed motion and acoustic sensoring technologies can assist with vessel identification and thus act as an early warning system whilst simultaneously refusing the plausible deniability grey-zone operators covet.11 As the European Parliament’s SEDE report listed, the likely objectives of sabotaging subsea cable systems include “damaging cables in operations short of war, blocking military or government communications in the early stages of a conflict, shutting down internet access for a targeted population, sabotaging an economic competitor, or causing global disruption for strategic purposes”.12 Though Russia’s actions, to this point, currently situate the threat beneath the battlefield threshold in the liminal or ‘grey zone’, it was made clear by Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, head of the UK’s Armed Forces, that the cutting of a transatlantic cable could be viewed as an act of war.13 Though the potential for such a reaction may warrant an actor to have second thoughts about sabotaging transatlantic cables, other cables

may be targeted. However, the deliberate cutting of a cable as an act would be, as Kieran Clark, Lead Analyst at SubTel Forum, posits, a “warning sign that something big is about to happen”.14 The weaponization of subsea cables is to turn them into an instrument which serves as a means to an end, the end being Clark’s ‘something big’, for example, as the SEDE report outlined, “sabotaging an economic competitor” or “causing global disruption”.15 Cutting a cable is therefore not in and of itself a strategic end game.16 Though one can never fully anticipate the actions an opponent will take, Russia will likely seek to avoid triggering an Article 5 response, and thus cable cutting and tapping are less probable within this context. Some may wish to cite the September 2022 explosions of the Nordstream pipeline as an example of Russia’s willingness to target subsea infrastructure in kinetic attacks. The inability for the international community to have definitively attributed the actor responsible for the attack further demonstrates that there is a comfort in grey zone attacks targeting subsea cables and pipelines which may not be the same were such an attack outside the liminal. Although GUGI may continue to map subsea infrastructure and taunt its foes in the grey zone, such actions are part and parcel of Russia’s routine geopolitical posturing. Meanwhile, actions such as the UK’s recent investment in two Multi Role Ocean Surveillance Ships (MROSS)––prompted by the collision between HMS Northumberland and a Russian submarine––contribute to the fortification of seabed defenses, offering increased surveillance and monitoring. Having the appropriate vessels outfitted with the right kit can serve as deterrents and minimize the threat by keeping it in the grey zone whilst simultaneously communicating a commitment to the position that threats against subsea critical infrastructure are taken seriously.

Overall, there is collectively too much emphasis on state actors cutting our communication lines.17 The developing technology and investment into the physical protection of subsea cables coupled with the international community’s efforts to build norms as to what is considered grey zone behavior versus a hostile attack equivalent to a declaration of war support the notion that the focus should be on the long-term threat of (digital) espionage as opposed to the short-term threat of disruption.18

9

14 Clark, interview.

Ibid.

10 A009, interview.

11 A0010, interview.

12 Bueger, Liebetrau, and Franken, “Security Threat,” 32.

13 Radakin in “UK Military Chief.”

15 Bueger, Liebetrau, and Franken, “Security Threat,” 32.

16 Clark, interview.

17 Ibid.

18 A009, interview.

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FEATURE A POSSIBLE PLAN OF ATTACK: CHINA VS. TAIWAN

Continuing with possible physical attacks against the subsea cable system, indeed an adversary may not be concerned with anonymity. The targeting of cables could be part of a larger-scale offensive. As Bryan Clark presented, “in a crisis, an aggressor could use multiple coordinated attacks on cables to compel an opponent to back down or employ them as part of an opening offensive to cut off the defender’s military forces from national commanders, intelligence data, and sensor information”.19 One such hypothetical scenario imagined is the Chinese Navy, in an opening act part of an aggressive bid to reunify with Taiwan, cuts multiple cables across the Taiwan Strait or at other key landing sites in order to cause significant disruption.

At the time of writing, twelve subsea cables connect to Taiwan (soon to be fifteen) at various landing sites.20 Some of these cables are owned by consortia which include the names of familiar companies. The cable Apricot, due to be completed in Q4 of 2024, is owned by Chunghwa Telecom, Google, Meta, NTT, and PLDT.21 And yet, even if such cables managed to avoid the crossfires of a conflict, the reciprocal nature inherent in the severance of a subsea cable would produce negative consequences not only to the victim but also those to which the aggressor would not be immune. As Kraska and Pedrozo pointed out, “the Yilan station at Toucheng in northeastern Taiwan connects Taipei with the states in the North Pacific and North America, while the Pingtung station at Fangshan in the south connects Taiwan with southeast Asia and Australia. Damaging these strategic cables and landing stations would not only significantly disrupt Taiwan’s economy and communications with its major trading and security partners but would also have a devastating effect on international business and financial markets in Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, and Australia”.22 In 2006, an earthquake damaged eight subsea cables, inflicting a total of eighteen cuts which collectively “disrupted telecommunications in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, and a ripple effect was felt in other parts of the world”.23 China Telecom and China Unicom reported an outage “of more than 90% of traffic to the USA and Europe as most of their traffic going through Hong Kong” then traveled “northward to Japan and the 19 Clark, “Undersea Cables,” 235.0

USA”.24 Intentional or unintentional, unless the cables were a closed-circuit system, the effects of cable damage cannot be isolated. Multiple parties would feel the pain of an attack in varying degrees, particularly if a chokepoint was targeted and repairs were significantly delayed due to the area being designated a conflict zone. As Kieran Clark maintains, the internet’s integration is indicative of a disruption causing “a network ripple effect”.25 Although resilience in the form of redundancy measures such as dark fibre cables could reduce the impact, a targeted attack on multiple cables could not only lead to severe disruptions in communications but also affect stock markets and economies as well as business in its broadest sense.

This domino effect would not only be felt by the victim and aggressor, but the interconnected nature of the system as a whole would result in third parties also being negatively impacted. Therefore, whilst indeed the threat from China is “not likely to take place outside the context of existing tensions in the Indo-Pacific” and thus “the potential immediate impact on Europe’s security is more limited”, if a physical attack was carried out, even though it would be restricted to the region, the chokepoints around Taiwan would result in the consequences reverberating across other parts of the world.26 Given the inability to control and isolate the effects such an attack would have, the likelihood of such an attack decreases as it would, at the very least, dismay if not draw other international actors into the conflict, leading to disputes over damages and repairs.

THE THREAT THAT NOBODY WANTS: CYBERSECURITY

In the early 1970s, the ICPC produced a film entitled The catch that nobody wants, a dramatization intended to demonstrate the perils the crews of cable ships face when careless trawler skippers find their gear entangled in subsea cables.27 Whilst time seems to have done little in the way of engendering greater exercise of caution and care amongst fishermen and trawlers, there is a new topic related to subsea cables which no one is eager to discuss: the digital vulnerabilities and cybersecurity of subsea cable infrastructure. Perhaps the least glamorous on the surface, it is a threat which remains to many shrouded in a veil of mystery. Regardless of whether this is due to a lack of technical understanding or a lack of wont of understanding, the illusive comprehension of the cyber threat extends beyond the minds of the public majority and is worryingly perva-

20 TeleGeography, “Submarine Cable Map.”

24 Qiu, “Submarine Cables Cut.”

22 Kraska and Pedrozo, Disruptive Technology, 191.

26 Bueger, Liebetrau, and Franken, “Security Threat,” 33.

21 Ibid.

23 The New York Times, “Asia Communications in Chaos”; Qiu, “Submarine Cables Cut.”

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25 Clark, interview.

27 Chisholm, “The International Cable Protection Committee,” 32.

sive amongst scholars, researchers, government officials and military leaders.

It is imperative to note that digital vulnerabilities are intertwined with other segments of the subsea cable system, from POPs (interconnection facilities) to the lack of physical security and geographic dispersion of cable landing stations to supply chain security. As a result, the cyber threat has the most points of exposure and is thus the easiest to target––ease being defined as the lack of both financial and physical barriers. The asymmetry of warfare further augments the risk of a singular individual compromising the system through digital means.28 The low-cost, low-resistance is what separates, in terms of likelihood, cyber threats from physical attacks such as cable cutting and tapping. The least understood and the threat with the most dimensionality given that multiple segments of the cable system can be compromised as opposed to a physical attack which would involve targeting either the wet or dry plants, the lack of awareness and subsequent knowledge void exponentially raise the likelihood of occurrence of a digital attack versus a kinetic.

The data that travels through subsea cables is the contemporary ‘black gold’, and actors have a vested interest in the “aggregate capture of metadata” as it is “a differentiating information benefit” which gives them “an edge”.29 That being said, it is important to underscore that the acquisition of an individual’s data is not what’s at stake given the volume of data which travels through cables. So, what is the cyber threat? To clarify, a cyber-attack against the cable system is not about causing destruction but disruption. It is the possibility of a malevolent actor (be it an individual acting on behalf of a terrorist group, criminal organization, state or for his/her own intents and purposes) changing the transmission or flow of content or surveilling the data.30 It is, as Kerry Haley, an industry leader in industrial strategy and systems engineering, explained, the ability to change the design or outcome, effectively creating a threat that is an “order of magnitude” above cable severance given that a victim may not notice until it’s already too late.31 “That”, summarized Haley, “is the cyber threat made real”.32 Furthermore, as subsea cables transition from wet to dry plants and then continue to POPs, which are increasingly data centers, the ‘middleman’ has been cut out and perpetrators have an easier path connecting them “straight 28 A009, interview.

29 A009, interview.

30 Haley, interview.

31 Ibid.

32 Ibid.

to the matrix”.33 Some may argue, however, that the data traveling through cables is encrypted and thus is sufficiently protected. A common misconception, it must be taken into account that encryption does not equate impenetrability. Encrypted data is, in fact, susceptible to infiltrations as cryptographic algorithms can be solved by quantum computers. Whilst China has been focused on shoring up defenses with quantum key distribution (QKD), the U.S. has focused on securing transmissions via post-quantum cryptography (PQC).34 Yet, upgrades to PQC will take time, and algorithms which contain a security flaw could be exploited.35 The first step to bridging these gaps is discussing the ramifications of this new technology in the context of submarine cables.36 As of now, this topic has been reduced to being another victim of the ‘digital divide’––the pervasive and worrisome cyber gap.

Another weakness, as a prominent U.S. government contractor pointed out, is that the subsea cable “lifecycle in and of itself is a vulnerability”.37 Concerns have already been flagged about the supply chain allowing the possibility for actors who manufacture cables and other components of the system to insert backdoors to enable monitoring. This, in conjunction with the paradigm shift from traditional hardware facilities and physical infrastructure to virtual, creates more openings for disruption and monitoring.38 If systems are less secure or rely on third parties with lower cybersecurity standards or which utilize compromised software such as remote network managers, they are inherently more primed for a digital attack.

The takeaway: the threat to which the subsea cable system is most vulnerable and likely to occur is the one receiving the least in-depth analysis and attention in scholarship and media. This must be rectified post-haste.

CONCLUSION: SANCTITY IN PERIL

History has already spoken. The threat to subsea cables, to both the information they carry and the cables themselves as a mode of data transportation, has persisted since the late 19th century. As societies become ever more dependent upon fibre-optics, and the industry continues to expand, the subsea cable system will play an even more central role in economic, commercial, military, diplomatic and personal communications, transactions and exchanges. Thankfully, 33 Ibid.

34 O’Shea, “Prisco: ‘Massive Vulnerability’ Exists”; NATO, “Using Quantum Technologies.”

35 Parker and Vermeer, “Hack Post-Quantum Cryptography Now.” 36 A0010, interview.

37 Ibid.

38 Ibid.

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 67

FEATURE there is no argument regarding the prioritization of subsea cable security. Yet, the multi-faceted nature of the system results in various points of exposure, making subsea cables the prime target for actors seeking to divert, disrupt, observe or collect the metadata that is constantly traveling between continents. The scholarship and defense sector need to readjust their focus away from the physical attacks and focus on the system’s Achilles’ heel: its cybersecurity.

As the realization of the prospect of satellites compensating and replacing subsea cables is accepted to be firmly grounded in the future, it is clear that investing in the security and protection of the cable system is not only wise but paramount. Presently, the threat most likely to occur is within the digital realm. That is not to say that this may change in the future, particularly in the Arctic, a region which is not only the site of increasing geopolitical tensions––even more so as the melting of polar ice caps brings with it the opening of new shipping and trade routes––but also as the location of many future cable projects poised to connect or cut through the region. With China’s interest in a Polar Silk Road, Russia’s nuclear submarines lurking beneath ice caps, and the ever-mounting strategic significance of the GIUK gap, the risk of physical attacks against subsea fibre-optic cables increases.

Although the practicalities of war may not have rendered realistic President Buchanan’s hope that the tangible lines of communication would remain sacred, the respect and preservation of subsea fibre-optic cables is a noble pursuit worth attempted realization by furthering the system’s protection by independent entities and as a global collective. The growing buzz around the topic should spurn healthy discussion and critique amongst scholars, industry professionals and decision-makers, one which hopefully expands to include other subsea infrastructure such as power cables and pipelines, both of which have received even less recognition. STF DEVON A. JOHNSON is a recent graduate of King’s College of London’s prestigious War Studies Department. With a BA in History & International Relations, a Postgraduate Diploma in Law, and an MA in War Studies, it was during the latter that she advised the Ministry of Defence on its High North strategy and defense capability development. Her dissertation, The Hidden Jugular? The Strategy and Security of Subsea Cables, furthered her research in the fascinating and timely topic of securing subsea infrastructure.

Prior to her studies, Devon was the youngest and only female to sit on the executive leadership team at a multi-million-dollar commercial real estate start-up since the age of fifteen.

A Trustee for the Charitable Trust of the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals, Devon also serves as the Deputy Chair of their Young Members’ Committee and is soon to become a Freeman of the City of London.

She is also an author represented by Corvisiero Literary Agency, New York.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY INTERVIEWS A009. Interview. By Devon A. Johnson. July 19, 2023.

A0010. Interview. By Devon A. Johnson. July 26, 2023.

A0011. Interview. By Devon A. Johnson. August 22, 2023.

Kerry Haley. Interview. By Devon A. Johnson. August 10, 2023.

Kieran Clark. Interview. By Devon A. Johnson. July 25, 2023.

PRIMARY SOURCES Bueger, Christian, Tobias Liebetrau, and Jonas Franken. “Security Threats to Undersea Communications Cables and Infrastructure – Consequences for the EU.” European Parliament. Report. PE702.557. April 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/13523260.2021.1907129.

Clare, Mike. “Submarine Cable Protection and the Environment.” International Cable Protection Committee, March 2021. https://www.iscpc.org/publications/submarine-cable-protection-and-the-environment/ICPC_Public_EU_March%202021.pdf.

Library of Congress. The telegraphic messages of Queen Victoria and Pres. Buchanan.

1858. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2005694829/.

SECONDARY SOURCES Carter, Lionel, Douglas Burnett, Stephen Drew, Graham Marle, Lonnie Hagadorn, Deborah Bartlett-McNeil, and Nigel Irvine. “Submarine Cables and the Oceans: Connecting the World.” International Cable Protection Committee/United Nations Environment Programme–World Conservation Monitoring Centre, 2009. http://www.icpc.org/publications/icpc-unep_report.pdf.

Chisholm, D. P. F. “The International Cable Protection Committee.” Telecommunication Journal 46, no. 1 (1979): 29-32.

Clark, Bryan. “Undersea Cables and the Future of Submarine Competition.” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 72, no. 4 (2016): 234-237. https://doi.org/10.1080/00963402.2016.1195636.

European Subsea Cables Association. “Submarine Telecommunications Cables.” Accessed July 18, 2023. https://www.escaeu.org/articles/submarine-telecommunications-cables/.

Kraska, James, and Raul Pedrozo. Disruptive Technology and the Law of Naval Warfare.

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022.

NATO. “Using Quantum Technologies to Make Communications Secure.” Last modified September 27, 2022. https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_207634.htm.

O’Shea, Dan. “Prisco: ‘Massive Vulnerability’ Exists with Submarine Cables.” Inside Quantum Technology, October 26, 2022. https://www.insidequantumtechnology.com/news-archive/prisco-massive-vulnerability-exists-with-submarine-cables/.

PA Media. “UK Military Chief Warns of Russian Threat to Vital Undersea Cables.” The Guardian, January 8, 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/08/uk-military-chief-warns-of-russian-threat-to-vital-undersea-cables#:~:text=Adm%20Tony%20 Radakin%20said%20undersea,an%20“act%20of%20war”.

Parker, Edward, and Michael J. D. Vermeer. “Hack Post-Quantum Cryptography Now So that Bad Actors Don’t Do It Later.” Lawfare, July 28, 2022. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/ article/hack-post-quantum-cryptography-now-so-bad-actors-dont-do-it-later.

Qiu, Winston. “Submarine Cables Cut after Taiwan Earthquake in Dec 2006.” Submarine Cable Networks, March 19, 2011. https://www.submarinenetworks.com/news/ cables-cut-after-taiwan-earthquake-2006#:~:text=Cables%20Cut%20in%20the%20 2006,C2C%2C%203%20cuts Sunak, Rishi. “Undersea Cables: Indispensable, Insecure.” Policy Exchange, December 1, 2017. https://policyexchange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Undersea-Cables.pdf.

The New York Times. “Asia Communications in Chaos after Earthquake in Taiwan – Asia – Pacific – International Herald Tribune.” December 27, 2006. https://www.nytimes. com/2006/12/27/world/asia/27iht-quake.4032404.html.

FEATURE

THE FUTURE OF SUBSEA CABLES WE’LL NEED LARGER, MORE EFFICIENT SUBSEA CABLE SYSTEMS IN MORE PLACES TO MEET GROWING DEMAND FOR GLOBAL BANDWIDTH

BY ALEX VAXMONSKY

S

ubsea cables play an essential role in enabling the digital world we know today, but it’s important to consider that subsea cables predate the internet by well over a century. These cables are merely a transmission medium we’ve adapted to support various communications technologies over the years.

As we look toward the future, we must ask how subsea cables will continue to evolve to meet the changing requirements of the digital world. Even today, bandwidth is exploding to all-time highs. That’s why it’s no surprise that the volume of subsea cable construction is the highest it’s ever been in the 150-year history of the medium.

Major projects are bringing new capacity into emerging and high-growth markets such as Africa (2Africa, Equi-

ano), the Middle East (Oman Australia Cable) and India (India-Asia-Xpress and India-Europe-Xpress), a major step toward closing the digital divide globally. However, even well-established subsea cable corridors are seeing new construction to keep up with growing demand.

For instance, the AMITIE cable in the transatlantic corridor is designed to offer high capacity and low-latency performance while also meeting environmental sustainability goals. In spite of offering 10x more capacity than older cable systems, AMITIE is forecast to use half the energy.[1] This offers a glimpse into the future of subsea cables: All future projects must balance ever-growing demand for capacity with the sustainability targets of the organizations that will use that capacity.

In the Pacific, the Southern Cross NEXT cable provides NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 69

FEATURE additional capacity between Australia and the West Coast of the United States. It supplements existing transpacific routes such as the original Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN) and the Hawaiki cable to provide redundancy and optimal traffic balancing.

Back when Equinix was founded 25 years ago, we commonly talked about intercontinental bandwidth in terms of megabits per second (Mbps). Now, it’s much more common to talk in terms of gigabits per second (Gbps). If we assume that global bandwidth will continue to double roughly every 18 months[2], we could soon be talking about terabits per second—or even petabits or exabits. Regardless of the vocabulary we end up using, one thing is certain: Data volumes will continue growing exponentially, and subsea cables must adapt to keep up.

we’ve announced plans to build new data centers in Jakarta, Johor and Kuala Lumpur.

SUBSEA CABLES MUST OFFER SUSTAINABILITY AND SECURITY

As enterprises and service providers continue to move and store exponentially larger volumes of data throughout the world, they must consider the sustainability and security impact of that data. For one thing, their customers will expect nothing less. For another, stricter regulations in different jurisdictions will likely force their hand.

From a sustainability perspective, colocation providers are pursuing innovations that will help make cleaner, more efficient data centers plentiful throughout the world.

The next logical step is for service providers to come together to offer network segments that are certified to have a limited carbon footprint. This means that all elements of SUBSEA CABLES WILL EXPAND the network—including the subsea ACROSS REGIONS cables—need to be built using In the future, digital traffic will The next logical step efficient design principles and be much more widely distributed, is for service providers to powered using renewable energy. a fact that seems likely to accelerCustomers will likely be willing ate the subsea cable construction come together to offer to pay a premium for these acbinge in regions across the world. network segments that are creditations, as it will allow them The U.S. has traditionally been the to stand behind their sustaincenter of the digital world. Parts certified to have a limited ability principles and get more of Europe and Asia-Pacific played carbon footprint. visibility into their emissions to a smaller role, while other regions help with sustainability reporting. originated very little traffic at all.

Any organization that needs to This has already begun to change. move large volumes of data throughout We’re seeing new subsea cable landings the world must also consider the secuin one emerging market after anothrity of their data. Today’s subsea cables er, including Africa, Latin America, are an extension of the original internet the Middle East and Southeast Asia. infrastructure, which was always intended These landing sites are the first step toto be a shared transmission medium. The ward boosting the digital economy in those users of the early internet benefited from sharing the regions. Under the right set of circumstances—where infrastructure costs, allowing them to achieve things that service providers and governments come together to invest would have been cost-prohibitive acting alone. However, orin downstream capacity—subsea cable growth can create ganizations also had to share the risks. The public nature of a virtuous cycle. Ongoing digital growth will lead to even the internet gave rise to denial-of-service attacks and other greater demand for bandwidth, which in turn will drive nefarious exploits. As the internet grew larger and more additional subsea cable projects. sophisticated, these risks grew along with it.

Avoiding geopolitical hotspots is a major concern Today, virtual network solutions offer a happy medium: for many organizations, giving rise to alternative routes the security of a private network without the high cost of through the Asia-Pacific region. Markets such as Indonebuilding private network infrastructure. Virtual networking sia, Malaysia and Australia are poised to benefit from this trend. For instance, the Asia Connect Cable System (ACC- will make it easier for organizations to move large volumes 1) from Inligo Networks will connect the growth regions of of data securely, without even having to consider the underlying subsea cables that make it all possible. The subsea Southeast Asia with Australia and the U.S.[3] At Equinix, cables of the future will need to offer a mix of high capacity we’re also investing in this region: Within the last year,

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and reliability to support these solutions, so that users will be able to get the always-on experience that they expect.

SUBSEA CABLES WILL BE AUGMENTED BY OTHER TRANSMISSION MEDIA

In spite of the security benefits that virtual networks offer, there’s no avoiding the fact that subsea cables represent a point of vulnerability. In addition to increased capacity, future cable systems will also offer greater visibility and reliability. Already, smart cable technology is helping cable operators detect outages caused by acts of sabotage or natural disasters. Using massive amounts of data from connected sensors, operators can locate the problem, identify when it occurred and respond quickly to minimize disruption. In the future, we’ll be able to leverage hundreds of these smart cables simultaneously, giving us a much better understanding of what’s happening across the globe at any one time.

Ensuring cable reliability will become even more important as we continue to see extreme weather patterns caused by climate change. More severe weather logically means more potential for damage to subsea cable systems.

This is happening at the same time that geopolitical conflict and expanding territorial claims in international waters are making it more difficult and time-consuming to repair cable systems after they’ve been damaged.

For these reasons and more, we’ll likely need to use subsea cables alongside other transmission media that can offer greater security and reliability. For instance, optical transmission via laser systems offers a natural encryption wrapper. You can’t intercept a beam of light; therefore, you can’t intercept optical traffic.

These laser systems will become increasingly important as we start to reach the theoretical limits of how quickly we can transmit traffic over traditional fiber technology—a concept known as Shannon’s Law. If we reach this point sooner than expected, optical communications will help pick up the slack, allowing us to continue moving ever-larger volumes of data faster and more efficiently. As long as we can continue to amplify laser signals, we’ll theoretically have a line of sight to anywhere in the universe.

Of course, optical communications will rely on advanced satellite infrastructure; just like with subsea cables, we’ll no doubt see these satellite constellations grow more numerous and advanced in the years to come. In addition, we’ll have to overcome many of the same challenges we face with subsea cables today. For one thing, we’ll need repeaters in space to help relay optical signals over very long distances.

In addition, we’ll need some degree of international cooperation to make satellite communications work well on a

global scale. Getting that cooperation won’t be easy, especially given recent geopolitical trends.

In addition, pollution and sustainable use of raw materials will be an area of concern for the satellite industry.

Low-Earth orbit satellites have operational lifespans as low as five years[4], meaning that they need to be replaced more often than subsea cables. Combine this with the fact that about 15% of all satellite launches fail, and we have good reason to believe that space junk will become a growing problem over the next several decades. We can expect to see increased legislation around this issue, along with an emerging niche industry of companies that help operators deorbit their satellites after they reach end of life.

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR WHATEVER THE FUTURE MAY OFFER

We can’t know for sure exactly what will happen in the future. However, we feel confident that data volumes will continue to grow, and that transmission media—be they subsea cables, communications satellites or something new altogether—will grow to help meet that demand.

Regardless of what happens next, you’ll need a future-looking digital infrastructure partner to help you capitalize on the opportunities and navigate the challenges.

This is where Equinix can help. Equinix IBX® data centers are located in 70+ metros worldwide, many of them key subsea cable landing sites. As global bandwidth continues to become more widely available, ecosystem partners are gathering on Platform Equinix® to turn that bandwidth into collaboration and innovation opportunities.

To learn more, read the Global Interconnection Index (GXI) 2023 report. The GXI, a market study published by Equinix, examines how suppliers and industry partners are helping one another pursue their digital transformation priorities by interconnecting inside vendor-neutral colocation data centers. STF As the Director of Global Networks at Equinix, ALEX VAXMONSKY is uniquely positioned to provide insight into datacenters and the ecosystems of service providers. He has significant in driving strategic partnerships and managing infrastructure installations for subsea and satellite deployments at Equinix. With a deep background in both wireless and wireline environments, Alex’s team is focused on strategies that support all varieties of networking connectivity to accelerate the monetization of services at the edge.

[1] “Building AMITIE, an eco-friendly transatlantic cable,” Orange International Carriers, February 2, 2023.

[2] Steven Cherry, “Edholm’s law of bandwidth,” IEEE Spectrum, July 2004.

[3] “Asia Connect Cable System (ACC-1)”, Inligo Networks.

[4] Aaron C. Boley and Michael Byers, “Satellite mega-constellations create risks in Low Earth Orbit, the atmosphere and on Earth,” Scientific Reports, May 20, 2021.

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E C TI T O

N

G

PR

FEATURE

THE MARITIME BACKBONE OF SOCIETY IS A MATTER OF URGENCY

BY MATHIAS BALLING

T

hings are heating up on our seas – no pun intended. The amount of marine traffic grows every year and parallel to this, subsea and offshore infrastructures are being expanded all over the world.

Consequently, ensuring safety in both national and international waters is becoming increasingly important and moving up on the agendas of both international maritime conferences and renowned news agencies across the world.

More marine traffic comes with a higher risk of more illegal traffic, such as dark ships conducting illegal activities.

More traffic also means increased risk of damaging subsea and offshore infrastructure, such as power and telecom cables, gas and oil pipelines, offshore windfarms as well as offshore oilrigs.

A WAKE-UP CALL IN THE BALTIC SEA

Recent incidents in several countries underline the importance of ensuring maritime safety, while adding urgency to finding innovative technologies that can drive a safer maritime world – both regarding dark ship detection and

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asset protection, which several international consortiums are now trying to tackle by calling for new technology developments.

Subsea and offshore assets are an important backbone of society. Subsea cables across the globe are the backbone of the internet as they carry a staggering 95 % of the world’s data traffic. The importance of this can hardly be overestimated.

Cable manufacturers have been developing closer ties with governments, whilst global tech giants intend to build the world’s largest private undersea internet network. At the same time, the offshore wind sector has been growing significantly in the past couple of years. These developments all pull in the same direction: Human activity on and in our oceans is growing by the day.

And as the recent attack on the Nord Stream gas pipes in the Baltic Sea so clearly revealed, our subsea and offshore assets are very vulnerable to sabotage and hybrid warfare.

Protecting the maritime backbones of society has truly become a matter of urgency.

THE PROBLEM OF DARK SHIPS

One of the main challenges is that AIS transponders (Automatic Identification System) can be turned off or tampered with. In 2021, Reuters reported several incidents where major shipping companies had been used for multiple illegal oil transfers without their knowledge while conducting regular trades. Another article stated several other incidents of large-scale misdirection when 20 ships in the Black Sea were spoofed: Their GPS equipment and navigation systems showed that the vessels were far away from their actual positions.

Detecting dark ships to stop potential illegal activities and protect subsea assets faces some serious challenges: Illegal activities like those mentioned above are often committed in areas where surveillance is weak. That is why high seas are often a major obstacle to implementing maritime governance. At the same time, criminals, state actors, and terrorists are developing still more sophisticated methods to cover their illegal activities.

From a technological perspective, proving a vessel’s true location when it pretends to be somewhere else has been a challenge until today: The reason is that a lot of vessels involved in illegal activities are not traveling with AIS transponders or spoof their transmissions. In fact, a recent study by Cambridge University found that the group of purse sein vessels they were investigating in a specific fishing zone “failed to transmit AIS data...for 80.6 per cent of the time”. This underlines the importance of inventing new technologies to stop maritime criminal activities and improve protection of subsea and offshore assets.

A FORMIDABLE CRIME FIGHTING TOOL

As of today, maritime authorities can strengthen maritime safety by regularly inspecting and screening vessels, supervising cargo handling, supporting security training, and by reporting as well as recording security incidents.

In addition to that, watching AIS signals for evidence of unusual vessel behaviors is another valuable tool. However, many authorities are struggling to keep up with the high

AIS data volumes from various sources. So, to create actionable intelligence from the data streams, systems need to be able to handle data fusion, processing, and storage.

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FEATURE

and the identification of dark ships is a crucial step. When embedded into smart data management, several AIS data sources can work together effectively. This allows maritime authorities to identify more illegal activities based on smart AIS data insights.

THE POWER OF DATA AND MACHINE LEARNING

GateHouse Maritime’s platform enables analysis across many data sources, allowing actionable insights to be generated. Paired with advanced machine-learning technology, it systematically monitors vessel movements. It automatically detects unusual vessel behaviors, such as turning on and off transponders, if vessels make suspicious rendezvous at high seas, or when vessels enter a protected area where subsea assets are located.

Some of the challenges of dark ships remain. But detecting unusual behaviors with smart machine learning algorithms is a huge and important step towards greater ocean transparency. By fully embracing the many opportunities of advanced AIS data analytics enriched with data from numerous other sources, we will move towards a safer, global society, where acts of crime and terrorism will not go unnoticed just because they take place at high seas.

The rise in marine traffic heightens the risk of illicit maritime activities like dark ships. Detecting these vessels is vital to safeguarding critical subsea and offshore infrastructure, such as power and telecommunications cables, gas and oil pipelines, offshore wind farms, and offshore oil rigs.

Hence, tackling the issue of dark ships is an urgent matter.

THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF SUBSEA AND OFFSHORE ASSETS IN OUR SOCIETY

According to a Reuters article from February 2023,

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subsea cables are at the forefront of a new rivalry between the United States and China over who controls the flow of big data. These cables serve as the foundation of the global internet, responsible for transporting 95% of the world’s data traffic, encompassing everything from instant messenger conversations to stock market transactions and even classified military information.

As a response to this heightened importance, cable manufacturers have forged stronger connections with governments and major global tech companies are looking to construct large subsea cable systems. Also, recent research indicates a substantial growth in the offshore wind sector over the past few years.

These developments emphasize a trend of increased activity in our oceans. As a result, protecting these offshore and subsea structures is highly important, as they ultimately facilitate critical exchanges and interactions among human beings.

DETECTING DARK SHIPS AND SURVEILLING SUBSEA ASSETS POSES SOME CHALLENGES.

Identifying dark ships and surveilling subsea assets presents a couple of challenges. Illegal activities at sea are often committed in areas where surveillance is weak. That is why the open ocean is often a major obstacle to enforcing maritime governance. At the same time, criminals, state actors, and terrorists are becoming increasingly adept at concealing their illegal activities.

It is even a challenging task to determine a vessel’s intended destination, given that only 41% of vessels worldwide actually report their intended destinations, as revealed by a study. This underscores the necessity of inventing new technologies to limit the activities of criminal or even terrorist organizations. These technologies serve a dual pur-

pose, safeguarding not only against threats on the high seas but also protecting subsea and offshore assets.

Today, maritime authorities employ various approaches to enhance maritime safety. These methods encompass routine vessel inspections and screenings, overseeing cargo operations, facilitating security training, and documenting security incidents. Additionally, monitoring AIS signals for signs of atypical vessel behavior is considered a valuable tool, as highlighted by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. However, current technology lacks the capacity to handle vast volumes of data originating from multiple sources. To derive actionable insights from this diverse data flow, systems must be able to seamlessly fuse, process, and store this data.

smart machine learning algorithms such as those of GateHouse Maritime’s is a first key step toward enhanced ocean transparency.

Recognizing the significance of maritime domain awareness, we are committed to supporting authorities and prominent global maritime stakeholders through cutting-edge technology powered by advanced machine-learning and

THE SOLUTION TO DARK SHIP DETECTION AND SUBSEA ASSET PROTECTION

GateHouse Maritime’s advanced maritime domain awareness platform facilitates effective collaboration between data sources such as AIS, SAR images, RF signals etc. ensuring that actionable insights can be generated. Paired with cutting-edge machine-learning technology, the platform systematically monitors vessel movements, identifying unusual behaviors such as toggling transponders on and off or the entry of vessels into protected areas housing subsea assets.

This automated 24/7 surveillance enables proactive protection of critical subsea infrastructure and offshore assets against potential vessel damage and global threats.

By leveraging data insights, it helps prevent downtime, reduce repair expenses, and support incident investigations.

Additionally, it provides destination predictions for vessels, addressing the challenge of vessels not always indicating their destinations.

In GateHouse Maritime, continuous real-time analytics operate, searching for pattern matches based on factors like port of origin, vessel types, movement patterns, speed over ground, course over ground, and various other parameters.

This comprehensive 24/7 scanning covers all vessels within a designated area of interest, such as a nation’s territorial waters or offshore and subsea infrastructures.

The difficulty of tracking vessels that operate without AIS transponders is a persistent challenge that cannot be eliminated. However, detecting unusual behavior with

analytics. This enables us to uncover vital insights from an extensive data pool. With advanced tools, global maritime key players can create true ocean intelligence, strengthening their capabilities in vessel surveillance, subsea asset protection, risk management for illegal marine activities, and carrying out successful defense operations. STF MATHIAS BALLING is a seasoned Maritime Surveillance Specialist with a comprehensive background in Risk Management, Surveillance, Asset Protection, and Digitalization. Leveraging the world’s leading maritime domain awareness data, he provides expert counsel to both Government-to-Business (B2G) and Business-to-Business (B2B) sectors. As a key figure at GateHouse Maritime, a pioneering provider of data services, Mathias draws upon years of experience in data analytics and advanced technologies to deliver genuine Maritime Awareness solutions to a diverse array of industries.

SOURCES AND REFERENCES https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/02/at-least-6-percent-global-fishing-likely-as-ships-turn-off-tracking-devices-study https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-and-comparative-law-quarterly/ article/illegality-of-fishing-vessels-going-dark-and-methods-of-deterrence/8E5D5C30A15C91BF17423ED1EF6EE0E2

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FEATURE

An Appreciation THANKS TO ALL OUR OUTSTANDING AUTHORS

BY SUBTEL FORUM STAFF

Since our first issue in November 2001 nearly 700 subject matter experts from around the world have provided timely insight into the health and ever-changing technology of our very special submarine cable industry. SubTel Forum’s vision has always been to be the “Voice of the Industry” and with their help we continue to do so.

Thanks to all the outstanding Authors who have contributed to SubTel Forum Magazine over the last 22 years!

Abhijit Chitambar Abiodun Jagun Ph.D. Adam Ball Adam Hotchkiss Adam Kelly Adam Sharp Adebayo Felix Adekoya Aislinn Klos Alain Peuch Alan Mauldin Alan McCurdy Alan Robinson Alasdair Wilkie Alex Vaxmonsky Alexandra Middleton Alexis DiGabriele Alexis Pilipetskii Alfred Richardson Alice Amiri Alice Leonard de Juvigny Alice Shelton Allan Green

Amanda Prudden Amber Case Amy Marks Anders Ljung Anders Tysdal Andrea Rodriguez Andrés Contreras Andrés Fígoli Andrew Desforges Andrew Oon Andrew Ray Andrew Rush Andrew Woollven Andrew Evans Andrew Lipman Andrew Ljung Andrew Lloyd Andrzej Borowiec Andy Bax Andy Cole Andy Lumsden Andy Palmer-Felgate

76 SUBMARINE SUBMARINETELECOMS TELECOMSMAGAZINE FORUM MAGAZINE

Andy Riga Andy Shaw Anjali Sugadev Anne LeBoutillier Anne Pasek Anne Pasek Antoine Lécroart António Nunes Anup Changaroth Arnaud Leroy Arunachalam Kandasamy Ashutosh Bhargava Asubam Weyori Barbara Dean Ph.D. Basil Demeroutis Ben Basson Benoit Kowalski Bernard Logan Bertrand Clesca Bill Barney Bill Burns Bill Carter

Bill Glover Bill Kolb Bill Redpath Bjørn Rønning Bob Fredrickson Bran Herlihy Brendan Press Brett Ferenchak Brett O’Riley Brett Worrall Brian Crawford Brian Lavallée Brian Moon Bruce Neilson-Watts Bruce Rein Byron Clatterbuck Captain Nick Parker Caroline Elliott Cate Stubbings Catherine Creese Catherine Dixon Catherine Kuersten

Cato Lammenes Cengiz Oztelcan Charles Laperle Charles Foreman Charlotte Winter Chris Barnes Chris Bayly Chris Benjamin Chris Butler Chris de Josselin Chris Ellis Chris van Zinnicq Bergmann Chris Wood Christian Annoque Christian Keogh Christian von der Ropp Christine Cabau Woehrel Christopher Noyes Christopher Wood Chuck Kaplan Cliff Scapellati Clifford Holliday Clive McNamara Colin Anderson Coran Darling Craig Donovan Dag Aanensen Dag Roar Hjelme Daishi Masuda Dallas Meggitt Dan Parsons Daniel Carragher Daniel Hughes Daniel Perera Daniel Wiser Daryl Chaires Dave Crowley David Cassidy David Coughlan David Eurin David Kiddoo David Lassner David Latin David Lipp David Liu Jianmin David Martin

David Mazzarese David Miller David Robles David Tappin David Walters David Warnes Dean Veverka Debra Brask Delphine Rouvillain Denise Toombs Denise Wood Dennis Chan Derek Cassidy Derek Greenham Derek Webster Devin Sappington Diego Matas Dixit Shah Dmitri Foursa Domingos Coelho Don Klikna Donald Hussong Doug Madory Doug Ranahan Doug Stroud Douglas Burnett Dr. Y. Niiro Eduardo Cezar Grizendi Edward Pope Edward Saade Edwin Danson Edwin Muth Elaine Stafford Emily Lane Emma Martin Emmanual Delanoque Emmanual Desurvire Ening Philip Eric Handa Erick Contag Erlend Anderson Eugene Park Eve Griliches Eyal Lichtman Fan Xiaoyan Fiona Beck Francis Audet

Francis Charpentier Frank Cuccio Frank DiMaria Frank Donaghy Ph.D. Fredrik Hane Funke Opeke Gabriel Ruhan Gareth Parry Gary Gibbs Gary Kennedy Gavin Rea Gavin Tully Genius Wong Geoff Ball Geoff Bennett Geoffrey Thornton Georg Mohs George Baker George Foote George Krebs George Miller George Ramírez George Samisoni George Tronsrue Georges Krebs Gerald Soloway Gil Santaliz Gisle M. Eckhoff Glenn Gerstell Glenn Hovermale Glenn Maule Glenn Wellbrock Global Maritime Initiative Gordon Duzevich Graham White Graham Cooper Graham Evans Greg Berlocher Greg Kunkle Greg Otto Greg Rocheleau Greg Stoner Greg Twitt Greg Varisco Gregor McPherson Guillaume Huchet Gunnar Berthelsen

Guy Arnos Hans Christian Nilsen Hardeep Sidhu Harold Bock Hector Hernandez Heiner Ottersberg Helen Veverka Henry Lancaster Henry Lancaster Hermann Kugeler Herve Fevrier Ph.D. Hicham Maalouf Himmat Singh Sandhu Horst Etzkorn Houlin Zhao Howard Kidorf Hubert Souise Hugh Thomson Hunter Newby Hunter Vaughan Iago Bojczuk Ian Davis Ian Douglas Ian Fletcher Ian Gaitch Ian Mathews Ian Thomas Ian Watson Igor Czajkowski Ilissa Miller Inge Vintermyr Inger Gloersen Folkeson International SOS Ioannia Konstantinidis Iris Hong Isaac Kofi Nti Isobel Yeo Italo Godoy Jacie Matsukawa Jack Richards Jack Runfola James Barton James Case James Cowie

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FEATURE Authors James Halliday James Herron James Hunt James Neville James Panuve Jan Kristoffer Brenne Jan Petter Morten Jas Dhooper Jason O’Rourke Javier Izaguirre Javier Valdez Jaynie Cutaia Jean Devos Jean-Francois Baget Jean-François Bilodeau Jean-Marie Fontaine Jean-Marie Vilain Jed Duvall Jeff Gardner Ph.D. Jeffrey Hill Jeffrey Hoel Jeffrey Snider Jeffrey Wilson Jennifer Ruch Jennifer Gibbons Jeremiah Mendez Jerry Brown Ph.D. Jim Baumann Jim Bishop Jim Byous Jim Fagan Jim Lemberg Jing Ning Jiping Wen Joanna El Khoury Joe Capasso Joel Ogren Joel Whitman Joerg Schwartz Ph.D. John Golding John Hedgpeth John Hibbard John Hill John Horne John Kasden John Manock John Melick

John Murray John Pockett John Schulz John Tibbles John Walker John Weisbruch Jon Seip Jonathan Boes Jonathan Liss Jordan Kearns Jorge Orlando Garcia Lozano Jorn Jespersen Jorn Wardeburg Jose Andres Ph.D. José Chesnoy Jose Duarte Jose Sousa Barros Joshua Henson Judi Clark Jukka-Pekka Joensuu Jules BenBenek Julian Rawle Kaori Shikinaka Karen Boman Karl Jeffery Kate Panayotou Katherine Edwards Katsuyoshi Kawaguchi Kaushik Sengupta Keith Russel Shaw Keith Schofield Keith Shaw Ken du Vall Ken Weiner Kent Bressie Kerry Merritt Kevin Mackay Kevin Summers Kieran Clark Kjetil Korslund Kristian Nielsen Kristian Ohleth Kristina Shizuka Yamase Skarvang Kurosh Bozorgebrahimi Kurt Ruderman

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Kylie Wansink Lara Garrett Larry Schwartz Laure Duvernay Laurent Campagne Laurie Miller Leetal Weiss Leigh Frame Leo Foulger Lewis Baxter Liam Talbot Linda Evans Lindsay McDonald Ling Zhao Lionel Carter Luca Possidente Lucia Bibolini Lynsey Thomas Madeleine Findley Mai Abou-Shaban Manuel Costa Cabral Marc Fullenbaum Marc Kebbel Marc-Richard Fortin Maria Garcia Alvarez Maria Mato Marianne Murfett Mark Davidson Mark Englund Mark Enright Mark Hukill Mark Wickham Marsha Spalding Marta Lahuerta Escolano Marta Ribó Martin Connelly Martin Foster Matthew Milstead Matthew Mitchell Matthew Richwine Mattias Fridström Maui Sanford Maurizio Pizzi Maxim Bolshitysnsky Mencía Martínez Meredith Cleveland Merete Caubert

Merrion Edwards Ph.D. Michael Clare Michael Reimer Michael Stanton Michael Williams Michael Craigs Michael Jones Michaël Marie Michael Nedbal Ph.D. Michael Ruddy Michael Schneider Michael s Carter Michel Chbat Ph.D. Michel Martin Mick Greenham Mike Conradi Mike Daniel Mike Hynes Mike Last Mike Pan Mikinori Niino Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Eldahshory Mojeed Aluko Molilaauifogaa Seanoa-Lamua Morgan Heim Motoyoshi Tokioka Muhammad Rashid Shafi Murray Eldridge Nancy Cai Nancy Poirier Natalia López Natasha Kahn Neal Bergano Neil Lambert Neil Tagare Nguyen Vu Nicholas Kazaz Nick Silcox Nicole Starosielski Nigel Bayliff Nigel Parnell Nigel Shaw Nikos Nikolopoulos Ning Jing Norma Spruce

Ola Khaled Olav Harald Nordgard Olivier Courtois Olivier Plomteux Olivier Tremblay-Lavoie Omar Jassim Bin Kalban Owusu Nyarko-Boateng Pamela Barnett Panagiota Bosdogianni Pascal Pecci Patricio Boric Patricio Rey Patrick Faidherbe Patrick Parsons Paul Abfalter Paul Budde Paul Davidson Ph.D. Paul Deslandes Paul Eastaugh Paul Gabla Paul Gagnier Paul Grant Paul Hibbard Paul Kravis Paul McCann Paul Polishuk Ph.D. Paul Rudde Paul Savill Paul St. Clair Paul Szajowski Paul Treglia Paula Dobbyn Per Handsen Per Ingeberg Pernilla Eriksson Pete LeHardy Peter Bannister Peter Bekker Peter Evans Peter Ford Peter Lange Peter Liu Peter Phibbs Peter Talling Peter Worthington Phil Anderson Phil Footman-Williams

Philip DeGuzman Philip Roche Philippe Dumont Phillip Pilgrim Pierre Tremblay Priyanth Mehta Puja Borries Rachel Justis Ragnhild Katteland Raj Jayawardena Raj Mishra Ralph Manchester Rannveig Bergerød Aase Rannveig Li Raul Magallenes Ray Chrisner Ray Drabble Rebecca Dippel Reese Jones Remi Galasso Rendong Xu René d’Avezac de Moran Renzo Ravaglia Rex Ramsden Rich Potter Richard Faint Richard Kram Richard Nickelson Richard Wysoczanski Richard Blann Richard Buchanan Richard Elliott Richard Romagnino Riley Kooh Rita Melo Rita Rukosueva Rob Eastwood Rob Hudome Rob Munier Robert Bannon Robert Haylock Robert Lingle Jr. Robert Mazer Robert McCabe Robert Mecarini Robert Stuart Robert Thomas

Robert van de Poll Robin André Rørstadbotnen Robin Russell Rogan Hollis Roger Carver Roland Lim Rolf Boe Ron Crean Ron Totton Ronald Rapp Ross Buntrock Ross Pfeffer Ross Slutsky Rubayet Choudhury Russ Doig Rusty O’Connor Ryan Wopschall Sally Sheedy Sally Watson Salon Ma Samir Seth Samiuela Fonua Sammy Thomas Sandeep Narayan Kundu Sandra Feldman Sanjai Parthasarathi Sarah Lockett Sarah Seabrook Scott Foster Scott Griffith Scott Mabin Scott McMullen Sean Bergin Serena Seng Sergei Makovejs Sergey Ten Seth Davis Shaheen Qamar Shane Cronin Shashank Krishna Shawn Xu Sherry Sontag Shreya Gautam Shu Zhuang Siddhartha Raja Siew Ying Oak

Simon Brodie Simon Frater Simon Webster Sir Christopher Bland Sorcha Ffrench Søren Arentsen Stacia Canaday Stan Kramer Steinar Bjørnstad Stephane Delorme Stephanie Ingle Stephany Fan Stephen Dawe Stephen Dres Stephen Grubb Ph.D. Stephen Jarvis Stephen Lentz Stephen Nielsen Stephen Scott Stephen Wright Steve Arsenault Steve Briggs Steve Duthie Steve Grubb Ph.D. Steve Lentz Steve McLaughlin Steve Misencik Steven Gringeri Steven Shamburek Steven Wells Stewart Ash Stuart Barnes Ph.D. Sushin Adackaconam Svante Jurnell Sverre Myren Taaniela Kula Tayo Adelaja Ted Clem Ph.D. Teijiro Kitamura Theresa Hyatte Thomas Popik Thomas Soja Tiejun Xia Tim Doiron

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NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 79

FEATURE Authors Tim Janaitis Tim Pugh Toby Bailey Todd Borkey Tom Davis Tom McMahon Tom Stronge Tong Liu Tony Frisch Travis Kassay Troy Tanner Trygve Hagevik TSA Newsfeed Tsunekazu Matsudaira

Ulises Pin Ulrik Stridbæk Valey Kamalov Vegard Briggar Larsen Venkata Jasti Ph.D. Vicky Liang Vinay Nagpal Vinay Rathore Vince Nacewski Vincent Gatineau Virginia Hoffman Vivian Hua Wahab Jumrah Wang Jingwei

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Wang Ke Wang Yanpu Wayne Pelouch Wayne Nielsen Wendy Wang Wesley Wright Wildred Kwan William Barattino Ph.D. William Harrington William Harris William Marra Ph.D. William Wall Winston Qiu Xiaoyan Fan

Xu Yewei Yali Liu Yiannis Koulias Yoani Sanchez Yoshio Utsumi Yuzhu Hou Yves Baribeau Yves Ruggeri Yvonne Lin Zatri Arbi Zhang Kai Zhao Ling Zhu Hongda STF

An Appreciation THANKS TO ALL OUR AWESOME COMPANY SPONSORS

BY SUBTEL FORUM STAFF

Since our first issue in November 2001 more than 100 Company Sponsors have made SubTel Forum Magazine financially possible.

Thanks to all the awesome Company Sponsors that have supported SubTel Forum over the last 22 years!

1024 Connect A2Sea AIS Live Alcatel-Lucent Anritsu APAC APTelecom APTProcure AquaComms atlantic-cable.com Australia Japan Cable Axiom AZEA BDA BJ Marketing Communications Boss Portal Cable & Wireless Caldwell Marine Ciena Columbus Networks Concept Experts Corning Cable Systems

CTC Marine Projects CYTA Global Deltaic Systems Digital Energy Journal Digital Oilfields EGS Ellalink e-Marine Entelec Ericsson Esri euNetworks Exfo, Inc. Fígoli Consulting FLAG Fugro General Offshore Global Marine Systems Ltd Global Netwave Globalinx Subsea Colocation GlobeNet Great Eastern Group

Hengtong Marine Cable Systems Hexatronic Huawei Marine Networks ICPC IEEE Workshop IHC EB Inchcape Shipping Services Infinera Information Gatekeepers International Subsea & Telecoms Services International Telecom ISTS Kokusai Cable Ship Co., Ltd. KT Submarine LL Flex Lloyds Register - Fairplay Makai

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FEATURE Sponsors MENA Submarine Cable System Mertech Marine Mobius Group NavaTel NEC Nexans Nortel Networks NSW OCC Offshore Communications Conference Offshore Site Investigation Conference OFS OilComm Optical Fiber Communications Optical Transmission Vision Pacific Telecommunications Council Parkburn PHS Pearce Services

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Point One Promet Prysmian Group PTC Academy S. B. Submarine Services Sifam Tinsley Smit-Oceaneering Cable Systems Southern Cross Cable Network Spellman High Voltage STC STF Analytics STF Events Submarine Cable Forum Submarine Cable Society Submarine Communications Submarine Networks World SubOptic Association Subsea Communications Conference

T Soja and Associates TE SubCom Telecom Egypt TeleGeography Terabit Consulting Thales TMS International Tyco Telecommunications Undersea Fiber Communication Systems Virginia Beach Economic Development WFN Strategies Xtera STF

PM 2.0 BY YOUR PROJECT ANALYTICS ANYTIME. ANYWHERE. PROVEN PROCESSES AND METHODOLOGIES • Defined Processes • Template Driven • PMP Based Project Management Approach • Rigorous Documentation Controls • Quality Assurance Focused • Secure Records Storage • Accessible and User Friendly

INTRODUCING THE VIRTUAL REP • In-Field Analysis Without In-Field Risk • Remote real-time analysis and reporting without the added cost of today’s in-field representation liabilities.

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FEATURE

Anniversary

NAVIGATING UNCHARTED WATERS SubTel Forum’s Inaugural Year in the Submarine Telecoms Industry

I

nological advancement and n November 2001, Subactual market demand for Tel Forum embarked on bandwidth. Operators and a momentous journey, investors found themselves chronicling the submarine An international forum for the expression of ideas and in a challenging environtelecoms industry’s ebb and opinions pertaining to the submarine telecom industry 4th Quarter 2001 ment, striving to balance flow. The magazine’s inaugural leveraging state-of-the-art year offered a profound look technology with economic at an industry grappling with viability. In response, firms economic, technological, and began emphasizing strategic market challenges. planning and market analyThe first issue in 2001 sis, aligning operations with set the stage, depicting the current and future demand. submarine telecoms sector as There was also a shift toward deeply affected by the broader collaborative efforts, espeglobal economic downturn. cially in regions with volatile The industry, pivotal in global market dynamics, where communication, faced uncerindustry players sought parttainties about the downturn’s nerships and alliances. depth and recovery timing.

SubTel Forum’s coverage This was compounded by sec in its first year portrayed tor-specific challenges within

an industry undergoing the telecom industry itself,

significant transformation. which was experiencing its The sector was navigating own significant downturn. through economic pressures, During this time, the technological disruptions, industry saw substantial market oversupply, and technological shifts. The transition from regenerative repeaters to optical amplifiers regional disparities. Yet, the industry showcased resilience and the adoption of Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) and adaptability, employing various strategies and innovaaltered cost dynamics significantly. Land-based equipment tions to navigate this complex landscape.

As 2002 unfolded, the industry continued to evolve, costs rose in importance, while the market grappled with influenced by relentless technological advancement and an oversupply of capacity. This led to falling prices and shifting demands in global communication. The narrative difficulties in financing new systems, with the enhanced was one of perseverance and innovation, highlighting the capacity of WDM systems further exacerbating the overindustry’s vital role in global connectivity. supply problem.

The regional outlook provided diverse perspectives.

This scenario reflected a mismatch between rapid tech-

1

84 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

Anniversary Europe, the Middle East, and Africa focused on the global bankruptcies, and financial restructurings underscored the industry’s ongoing challenges. The response was strategic implications of technological changes on costs and strucand multifaceted, emphasizing market repositioning and tures. In contrast, Asia, notably Japan, faced a deep industechnological innovation. Despite the downturn, there was try depression, compounded by a stagnant economy and cautious optimism about the industry’s ability to adapt industry fragmentation. Despite these challenges, SubTel and recover. This sentiment was echoed in the magazine’s Forum maintained a cautiously optimistic outlook, precoverage, which highlighted both the struggles and the dicting a slow recovery with significant structural changstrategic responses employed by the industry. es in the industry. The sentiment in 2001 was cautious, The magazine also shed light on regional developments. somewhat pessimistic, but hopeful, reflecting the complex In Latin America, market liberalization was driving dechallenges of oversupply, technological shifts, and a chalmand for bandwidth, showing lenging global economic environment. signs of growth despite the global SubTel Forum’s subsequent issues in slump. In contrast, Asia, 2002 continued to capture the evolving In summarizing the year, SubTel telecom particularly China, continued landscape, marked by ongoing financial Forum Magazine portrayed an to experience robust growth, challenges and the pursuit of stability and growth amidst global market industry undergoing a crucial offering a counterpoint to the more stagnant conditions in the shifts. The resilience of the submarine phase of transformation.

Americas and Europe. These cable industry, despite the ongoing The challenges of 2002, from regional narratives illustrated an economic downturn, was a testament financial turmoil to technological industry not uniformly affected by to the sector’s unique dynamics. Hisadvancements and shifting the global downturn, with pockets torical trends often showed an increase in undersea investments even during market dynamics, had tested of growth and opportunity amidst widespread challenges. economic recessions, providing a glimthe industry’s resilience.

Yet, the As the year progressed tomer of hope in a market tempered by narrative that emerged was one wards its close, the fourth issue the reality of oversupply. of perseverance and adaptability, of SubTel Forum reflected on the The shift from consortium-led to investor-led systems in the late 1990s with the industry showing signs ongoing financial challenges and had significantly altered the financial of navigating its way towards the impact of new capacity on bandwidth prices. The industry, landscape of the industry. This shift stabilization and recovery. despite facing cost reductions in led to a greater reliance on capital new-generation cables, was commarkets and speculative investors, who pelled to offer capacity at prices became increasingly cautious in the below their own costs, a situation exacerbated by the face of numerous bankruptcies and financial restructurings. Recognizing the need to redefine investment sources, oversupply of bandwidth. The magazine underscored that while demand for bandwidth was growing, the industry’s SubTel Forum suggested that a blend of investor-led and capacity had significantly outpaced this demand, largely carrier-led projects would shape the future market evoludue to technological advances such as DWDM, which tion. dramatically increased potential cable capacity.

The magazine’s 2002 issues further delved into the In summarizing the year, SubTel Forum Magazine industry’s challenges and responses. Technological advanceportrayed an industry undergoing a crucial phase of ments, while offering cost reductions in constructing and upgrading undersea cables, also contributed to the market’s transformation. The challenges of 2002, from financial turmoil to technological advancements and shiftoversupply dilemma. Despite these hurdles, a cautious ing market dynamics, had tested the industry’s recovery for the undersea cable market was projected, resilience. Yet, the narrative that emerged was indicating a potential return to previous investment highs. one of perseverance This forecast was set against an industry landscape where and adaptability, with strategic planning and careful market analysis became vital the industry showing for companies to align with evolving demands.

By mid-2002, the focus shifted to the financial struggles signs of navigating its way towards staprevalent in the industry. Significant debt accumulation,

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NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 85

Anniversary bilization and recovery. The magazine’s coverage during this and societies. SubTel Forum highlighted these innovations, emphasizing their critical role in the future of global conpivotal year highlighted not only the struggles but also the nectivity and digital infrastructure. strategic responses and innovations that were shaping the The magazine’s coverage throughout 2002 culminated future of global submarine telecommunications. in a sense of cautious optimism for the industry’s future.

As 2002 drew to a close, the industry was at a pivotDespite significant hurdles, there were clear signs of recoval juncture, confronting the challenges of the past while ery and opportunities for growth. The industry’s narrative forging a path into the future. The oversupply of capacity, throughout the year was characterized by perseverance and a remnant of the previous decade’s exuberant expansion, adaptability, revealing an industry emerging from a period remained a critical issue. Companies grappled with balancof upheaval with renewed focus and clarity. The resilience, ing the capabilities of advanced technologies like DWDM adaptability, and innovation displayed by the submarine against a saturated market. This scenario posed a complex telecoms sector underscored its vital role in the global comchallenge: leveraging technological innovation to enhance munications landscape. capacity and efficiency while managing the economic realiAs SubTel Forum Magazine closed its first year, it had ties of an oversupplied market. not only chronicled a year of sigIn response, strategic shifts were nificant change and transformation evident across the industry. Firms also become a valuable resource began to pivot towards more susAs SubTel Forum Magazine closed but for understanding the complex and tainable business models, prioritizits first year, it had not only ever-evolving world of submarine ing efficient capital deployment and seeking opportunities in emerging chronicled a year of significant telecommunications. The industry, markets. There was a growing change and transformation but having navigated through considerchallenges, was poised to enter recognition that the future would also become a valuable resource able a new phase of its journey, promising not solely be about technological for understanding the complex to be as dynamic and transformative prowess but also about market and ever-evolving world of as the last. The magazine, through acumen and the ability to anticipate and meet evolving global communisubmarine telecommunications. its comprehensive and insightful coverage, had not only documented cation needs. this journey but also became a guidIn the latter half of 2002, Subing light for industry professionals, Tel Forum Magazine provided an policymakers, and enthusiasts alike. insightful look into the diverse regional dynamics shaping In summing up its first year, SubTel Forum Magazine the submarine telecoms industry. Asia, particularly Chiprovided a clear, factual account of the submarine telecoms na, remained a beacon of growth, defying the global trend industry’s resilience and adaptability. The year was marked with its strong demand for bandwidth and technological by significant economic challenges and remarkable techprogress. This contrasted sharply with the more subdued nological progress, showcasing the industry’s capacity to markets in the Americas and Europe, where the industry navigate through tough times while keeping an eye on fuwas still stabilizing amidst the economic slowdown. The ture advancements. Looking ahead, SubTel Forum remains magazine’s nuanced coverage of these regional differencdedicated to offering thorough analysis, informed commenes offered a comprehensive view of the global landscape, tary, and a platform for discussion within the submarine illustrating how varying market conditions and regulatory telecommunications community. As the industry continues environments influenced the industry’s trajectory in differto evolve, SubTel Forum stands ready to document its onent parts of the world. going developments, serving as a reliable source of informaInnovation continued to be a driving force for the intion and perspective in this dynamic field. STF dustry, even in the face of financial and market challenges.

Companies invested heavily in research and development, constantly seeking ways to enhance the capacity, efficiency, and reliability of undersea networks. These technological advancements were not merely about meeting immediate demands but were also pivotal in enabling the next wave of digital transformation, set to reshape industries, economies,

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22

YEARS AGO

NOVEMBER 2001

S U B T E L F O R U M WA S F O U N D E D

W E ’ R E A FA M I LY BUSINESS A N D W E TA K E G R E AT P R I D E I N OUR PEOPLE, SERVICES AND P U B L I C AT I O N S .

BACK REFLECTION

THE BEGINNING OF WAVELENGTH DIVISION MULTIPLEXING COMMUNICATIONS IN 1880

BY PHILIP PILGRIM

L

ong, long ago, before commercial AC power, before light bulbs, before lasers, before radio, before optical fibre, just five years after the invention of his telephone, Alexander Graham Bell invented the first optical communication system using light. This device was named the Photophone.

Just as in modern-day optical transmission, the photophone used a transmitter that modulated light, and a receiver that converted the received light to an electrical signal.

The only available light source of sufficient power at the time was the sun, so Bell’s photophone took on the shape of an astronomical telescope mount in order to track the sun. The sunlight was then shaped into a beam using lens’ then shone upon a mirror which was mounted on a speaker-like device. This modulated the beam of light which then travelled through the open air to the distant receiver. The receiver was a parabolic mirror which focused the light onto a selenium cell photodetector that transformed the light energy back to electrical energy.

Today’s new frontier in telecommunication is space and the use of free-space optical connections using lasers. Currently the brightest minds are working on developing platforms that will be on-station just 20 km above populated areas and provide

88 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

broadcast and steered beams to effectively replace cell networks. Users will connect to these devices overhead rather than to towers. These low altitude networks will then connect to backbone devices higher in the atmosphere. Low and medium earth-orbit satellites will form the backbone network using free-space laser optics that will provide the function of today’s subsea and terrestrial core networks. The benefit of free space optics is that signals travel faster than in fibre optical networks, no glass-impairments occur, and the shortest paths between two points on the earth can be realized. Just as cable stations tend to be at the most convenient locations to reduce cable lengths, a freespace optical network will have uplink/downlink sites

Prism and beam separator plate (WDM!!!)

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BACK REFLECTION

between the earth and space where the skies are clearest and have the least atmosphere above them.

Janet and I recently visited the Alexander Graham Bell Museum in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. There you can see components of his photophone on display. I have seen this in the past, but on this visit, I was very surprised.

There on display amongst the photophone components, was a prism!!!

Instantly thoughts formed and it was clear that Bell must have been using the prism to transmit different wavelengths of the sunlight. Just as we use array wave guides today as the foundation of Wavelength Division Multiplexing, Bell’s use of prisms could do the same. By placing prisms on his transmitter and receiver Bell could optically multiplex and demultiplex many signals over the same path. Bell effectively developed modern optical communications 100 years before it was feasible. STF

PHILIP PILGRIM is the Subsea Business Development Leader for Nokia's North American Region.

2021 marks his is 30th year working in the subse a sector. His hobbies include "Subsea Archaeology" and locating the long lost subsea cable and telegraph routes (and infrastructure). Philip is based in Nova Scotia, Canada.

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Transmitter & Receiver

Alexander Graham Bell Museum. Baddeck, Nova Scotia (October 2023)

Light source: Mechanical sun tracker mount (German Equatorial) with mirror

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WHEN YOU HAVE THE

FOR SPEED

400GbE

Connectivity between Australia and New Zealand to the USA.

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NEED

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 93

LEGAL & REGULATORY MATTERS

CULTURE OF REGULATORY GOOD STANDING

By Andrés Fígoli

I

t is imperative that a company has efficient processes and regular checks in place to comply with the changing regulatory framework in each country where a submarine cable is installed. This creates a culture of awareness throughout the organization, which indirectly ensures the proper operation and maintenance of these subsea assets throughout their lifetime.

An “all hands-on deck” compliance culture minimizes the risk of delays in the payment of regulatory fees when different parts of the company have to rush through a payment process with government deadlines that cannot be changed. It also avoids the late submission of periodic regulatory reports with updated cross-information from multiple departments, and finally puts an end to the easy idea of starting service provision before a required telecoms license has been granted.

There are always arguments in favor of shortcuts or even workarounds: low risk of detection of a breach, incomplete information in a filing, or even underpayment of regulatory fees just to meet the deadlines without further action. However, this ‘sweeping it under the carpet’ behavior poses a risk in the long run. These urgent measures are usually aimed at resolving a burning situation, but they fail to take into account that the cable owner may have its license, permit or authorization revoked or be struck off the register for repeated or even gross breaches of the national telecom’s regulatory framework.

If the cable owner always tries to observe and maintain a culture of regulatory good standing, the benefits will far outweigh the continuous effort, as the issue may come up in the least expected

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circumstances, and they always do:

1. DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS FOR M&A INVESTMENTS.

A regulatory due diligence process is carried out before a company is acquired, so that the buyer does not inherit regulatory issues with the acquisition.

Generally, there are new regulatory advisors who would conduct this review and they are not the same current regulatory lawyers that a cable owner relies on for day-to-day compliance. As a result, there may be different interpretations of the regulatory framework between the two teams of lawyers.

This is a good opportunity to take advantage of this double-checking of compliance within a company and remove any unnecessary risk.

2. PERMITTING PROCESS FOR A NEW CABLE PROJECT.

The need to be always in good standing also brings a great strategic advantage in the early stages of future cable projects. Regulators and public authorities in general are more sympathetic to operators who share this culture, leading to the establishment of friendly channels such as informal meetings for technical consultation before a project is launched.

From a regulator’s perspective, it is important to reassure them that they are not dealing with speculators, abusive dominant operators, or even insolvent telcos.

The guiding principle for any in-house counsel practice should be consistent with a marketing campaign that effectively convey the message that the operator is in a country as a long-term stakeholder to continue to invest there and to comply with local laws accordingly.

Furthermore, at a later stage, even

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LEGAL & REGULATORY MATTERS

CULTURE OF REGULATORY GOOD STANDING

By Andrés Fígoli

during a new cable installation project phase, this culture of compliance is crucial. When paying customs duties on the imported submarine cable and associated equipment, there may be prior communication between public institutions to verify the veracity and legitimacy of the importer of record’s activities. They may even require additional corporate records or public company registers, so it is better to check that these corporate formalities have been completed before the cable ship arrives at mile 201.

3. PLANNING THE REPAIR OF A SUBMARINE CABLE FAILURE.

This is particularly relevant for operations in shallow waters where a special maintenance permit may be required under territorial waters jurisdiction. A cable owner with an urgent need to have his cable repaired as soon as possible would submit the paperwork at least 1-2 months in advance, with the approximate dates of arrival of the maintenance cable ship.

Unfortunately, it is common for the permit date to coincide with the ship’s arrival time. The carrier should then be ready to submit any additional documentation required by the authorities without any further delays than those inherent in the state bureaucratic system.

4. ARGUMENTS OF THE DEFENDANT IN A SUBMARINE CABLE DAMAGE CASE.

If the cable owner must initiate legal proceedings to recover damages from the owner of a fishing vessel that has damaged its submarine cable, the P&I (insurance) company representing it will generally try to argue that the submarine installation did not have all

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the necessary licenses.

Accordingly, a cable owner should check beforehand that he has all of them, if required by law, or even the usual communications with the local hydrographic office to update all charts with the position of the submarine cable.

CAREFUL SELECTION OF REGULATORY ADVISORS IN EACH JURISDICTION.

Public authorities can warn a cable owner in advance of continued breaches of the current regulatory framework, and this is a sign to carefully choose the next steps to protect the infrastructure soon.

These red flags should be carefully calibrated by a carrier depending on the scenarios in each jurisdiction. It is not the same to receive a formal notice to remedy a breach in a stable jurisdiction with clear and predictable case law than in a tumultuous nation with changing authorities and little respect for its own constitutional rights and obligations.

In the latter case, a cable owner could face a licence revocation proceeding that could easily be escalated by the telecommunications regulator based on the changing political winds of the day. In addition, a cable operator that has a subsidiary in a jurisdiction with several other group companies that are systemically non-compliant with local regulation could easily find itself under regulatory scrutiny without even knowing it.

For this reason, a cable owner should carefully select its external local regulatory advisors from the outset, before the landing operations take place, and avoid changing them without serious justification.

This will enable them to have a clear channel of communication with the regulators and other relevant authorities, which is crucial for consultations and meetings with them, especially if it is to be on a name basis and later direct and honest feedback to their client is expected.

The worst regulatory problems are those unintentional errors and omissions that are not easy to spot, hidden from plain sight until it is too late, and an auditor discovers them, or in the worst case, during a regulatory inspection at a later stage.

Accordingly, a local regulatory advisor should be prepared to raise a red flag without fear and have a clear mind to seek solutions based on common sense. Taking a conservative approach, the best solution for a carrier would be to adopt a long-term strategy in a country where good relations with the telecom’s regulator are a priority.

Of course, the last option, if necessary, should be litigation, including invoking any applicable investment protection agreement, and even using the many resources available through diplomatic channels. However, the time constraints of a cable installation project usually suggest otherwise. STF ANDRÉS FÍGOLI is the Director of Fígoli Consulting, where he provides legal and regulatory advice on all aspects of subsea cable work. His expertise includes contract drafting and negotiations under both civil and common law systems.

Additionally, he has extensive experience as an international commercial dispute resolution lawyer. Mr. Fígoli graduated in 2002 from the Law School of the University of the Republic (Uruguay), holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from Northwestern University, and has worked on submarine cable cases for almost 21 years in a

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 97

ON THE MOVE IN THE DYNAMIC REALM OF CORPORATE ADVANCEMENTS, THIS MONTH SPOTLIGHTS A SERIES OF NOTABLE TRANSITIONS AMONG INDUSTRY LEADERS. J AYNE STOWELL steps into a new chapter as a board member at Start Campus, bringing a wealth of experience from her tenure as Senior Strategic Negotiator in Google’s Global Subsea Network Acquisition Group. Her leadership at Jayne Stowell Advisory Limited and pivotal roles at SubOptic Foundation and ICPC | International Cable Protection Committee fortify her as a distinguished addition to the team.

DR. RANULF SCARBROUGH embarks on an impactful journey as the Submarine Cable Modernisation Lead at the Cayman Islands Government. His expertise and vision are set to bring transformative changes in this new endeavor.

MIKE BLANCHE concludes a remarkable 14-year journey at Google to explore new horizons in telecoms and internet infrastructure. His commitment to the Open Internet and collaborative successes in the industry have been truly inspiring.

STUART KEEBLE adds a new feather to his cap as the General Manager UK & Ireland at Boskalis Subsea Cables. This role complements his ongoing position as Commercial Manager, promising exciting developments ahead.

MIKE SHAW reflects on a rewarding 16-month stint at Caldwell Marine International, highlighting significant advancements in the submarine cable industry. He now steps into a pivotal role as Chief Operations Officer at Canpac Marine Services Inc, ready to chart new territories.

CATHERINE O’CONNOR announces her new role as Vice President, Channel & Partner Solutions at EXA Infrastructure. Her move signifies a step forward in the realm of digital solutions and partnerships.

GUEN-CHANG LEE takes on the role of Managing Director at the Construction Division of LS Marine Solution.

His leadership is anticipated to drive significant growth and innovation in the sector.

MARK RICHMOND celebrates a well-deserved promotion to Sales Director, Strategic Accounts at Hexatronic US. His remarkable contributions since the onset of his journey with the company, especially during challenging times, have been pivotal in Hexatronic’s growth.

These transitions underscore the vibrant and ever-evolving nature of the industry, as seasoned professionals continue to explore new challenges and avenues for impactful contributions.

98 SUBMARINE TELECOMS MAGAZINE

SUBMARINE CABLE NEWS

NOW

CONFERENCES & ASSOCIATIONS

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

IWCS 2023 Forum Recap: Focus on Innovation

KKR Nears $400M Deal with Subsea Firm OMS

Submarine Networks World 2023: Largest Gathering of Subsea Leaders

LS Cable Plans U.S. Submarine Cable Plant

CURRENT SYSTEMS

Vocus Asks for Better Submarine Cable Protection

Google Activates Equiano Cable in Saint Helena

SUBTEL FORUM

NEC Completes Patara-2 Cable in Indonesia

Submarine Telecoms Industry Report 12th Issue – Now Available!

DATA CENTERS

TECHNOLOGY & UPGRADES

NTT’s Kolkata Data Center Set for 2024

SEA-ME-WE 4 Upgrade in Bangladesh

Equinix – Gateway for Southern Cross NEXT

Nokia Bell Labs Boosts Subsea Cable Speed

FUTURE SYSTEMS BW Digital Signs Contracts to Future-Proof Pacific Connectivity Telxius Expands Tikal Subsea Cable to Mexico

NEC Achieves 800 Gbps Subsea Cable Record ADC Picks Infinera’s ICE6 for APAC Cable Delivering Multi-Core Fiber Technology in Subsea Cables EdgeUno Boosts Connectivity in Brazil, Mexico with Ciena’s Tech

Google Cables Boost South Pacific Connectivity Telecom Egypt Extends Medusa Cable to Red Sea Orange, Airtel Manage Meta’s 2Africa Cable Google Cloud Unveils Nuvem Subsea Cable Cinturion, du Sign TEAS Cable MOU Batelco Selects SubCom to Supply Regional Subsea Cable Gambia to Have 2nd Submarine Cable Worth US$30M TM Joins Asia Link Cable System to Boost Malaysia’s Connectivity

OFFSHORE ENERGY Nokia Firm Delivers Subsea Tech for Equinor Oil Project

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 99

ADVERTISER CORNER A s you may know, SubTel Forum is gearing up for the release of two of our cornerstone publications: the 12th Annual Submarine Telecoms Industry Report, coming this October, and the 2024 Submarine Cables of the World printed wall map, set for early next year. I’m reaching out to offer you an exclusive opportunity to significantly elevate your brand’s visibility in the submarine telecoms industry through these impactful platforms.

WHY YOU SHOULD ADVERTISE IN THE INDUSTRY REPORT - $4,250

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TOPAZ

TGN Pacific

France France

Berbera

TGN

EIG

FEA

RamaFEA 2Afric TEAS ia -1 Euras EMIC y TGN

s

Expres

2 Vietnam

Anadyr

Finland

Raman

5

E-WE

6

Polar

Iqaluit

Ivujivik Valdez Seward

Homer

Larsen Bay Chignik Bay

Perryville False Pass

Aden

IEX

Bodø

Iceland

Nuuk

India

WE SEA-ME-1

Africa

TE

GBICS

AAE-1 IEX 2Africa/PEARLS

I-ME-WE

TEAS

2Africa

6

SOUTHEAST ASIA Pevek

Rǿst

Seyðisfjörður

Maniitsoq Cape Dorset

an

Ram

PEA CE

MENA E

A-ME-W

ss

Amderma

Polar Express

Murmansk Aasiaat

Sisimiut

Unalaska

SEA-ME-W

Karachi

MENA

Cable

Tiksi Prudhoe Bay

Prudhoe Bay

Kotzebue

Nome

Chabahar

SEA-M

EIG

Vision OM SE Saudi -1 a SEAC Africa 2Afric

Svalbard

n Subsea llio Utqiaġvik

Quinti

Wainwright

Point Hope

Point Hope

Muscat

FEA WE 6 RamanSEA-ME-

E4

Yemen

Somaliland Somalia

Polar Expre

TE AS

Al Seeb

Al Hudaydah

Djibouti City

South Sudan

Express

Fujairah

Al Ghaydah

Djibouti City

Polar

2

Salalah

Yemen

Ethiopia

Hotellneset

Jask

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Oman

EAS S

Svalbard

Dikson

Khasab

Das Island Abu Dhabi

Jeddah

Eritrea

Polar Express

GBICS

Doha

Saudi Arabia Thuwal

Port Sudan

Pakistan

Bandar Abbas

Gulf

Manama

Saudi Arabia Yanbu

Sudan

Greenland

Iran

on

Raman Duba

PLCN

100 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

Haql

Egypt

PC-1

Click here to secure your spot now in the upcoming Cable Map!

Afghanistan

Al-Faw

Zaafarana Ras Ghareb

JUNO

• The map is distributed at key industry conferences like PTC ’24 and Submarine Networks World.

• Your logo will be a constant presence on potential customers’ walls throughout the year.

• You’ll receive a tile web banner visible on the SubTel Forum news feed, which garners 10,000 views per month.

GULF INDIAN OCEAN

Suez

Echo

WHY SPONSOR THE 2024 SUBMARINE CABLES OF THE WORLD MAP - $4,750

RED SEA

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Unity

Our publications at SubTel Forum resonate with a global audience spanning over 85 countries. A significant portion—more than 55%—of our readers hold Middle or Senior Management roles, and over 60% wield considerable purchasing influence or are the final decision-makers in their organizations. The upcoming Industry Report will delve into a comprehensive range of topics vital to the submarine telecoms sector.

A CLOSER LOOK

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• The report is downloaded around 500,000 times each year.

• Advertising slots are limited and are filled on a firstcome, first-serve basis.

Click here to secure your spot now in the upcoming Industry Report!

Levin

51.9K KMS 3K KMS

Christchurch

Nui

Indian Ocean 32.9K KMS 148.6K KMS

New Zealand Invercargill

Dunedin

EMEA

71.4K KMS

32.1K KMS

32.1K KMS

AustralAsia

87.2K KMS 87.2K KMS

POLAR

INDIAN OCEAN INDIAN OCEAN

32.9K KMS

EMEA

129.4K KMS

129.4K KMS

EMEA AUSTRALASIA

88.2K KMS

AUSTRALASIA

88.2K KMS

AMERICAS

Americas

AMERICAS

TOP DATA CENTER PROVIDER FACILITY COUNT

CONTENT PROVIDER FACILITY COUNT

TOP DATA CENTER PROVIDER FACILITY COUNT

CONTENT PROVIDER FACILITY COUNT

China Telecom

Microsoft

CenturyLink Amazon

Equinix Digital Realty

Google

CyrusOne Telehouse

Facebook

PTT 0

50

100

150

200

China Unicom China Mobile

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Being handed out at these conferences ensures that your brand is seen by the right audience—industry professionals who are decision-makers and influencers. With your logo prominently displayed, you’ll be top-of-mind throughout the year. Plus, the added web banner on our site, which receives 10,000 views per month, offers another layer of visibility.

To secure your advertising spot, please reach out to me directly at knielsen@subtelforum.com or call [+1] 703-444-0845. STF KRISTIAN NIELSEN is based in the main office in Sterling, Virginia USA. He has more than 14 years’ experience and knowledge in submarine cable systems, including Arctic and offshore Oil & Gas submarine fiber systems. As Quality & Fulfilment Director, he supports the Projects and Technical Directors, and reviews subcontracts and monitors the prime contractor, supplier, and is astute with Change Order process and management. He is responsible for contract administration, as well as supports financial monitoring. He possesses Client Representative experience in submarine cable load-out, installation and landing stations, extensive project logistics and engineering support, extensive background in administrative and commercial support and is an expert in due diligence.

S U B T E L F O R U M I S E X C I T E D T O PA R T N E R W I T H YO U R B U S I N E S S O N T H E F O L L O W I N G SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY

1

SUBTEL FORUM BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE

The premier publication for the submarine telecoms industry.

Each issue is built around a central theme, discussing that specific aspect of the submarine fiber market.

• Over 100,000 downloads per issue • Two months exposure

INVESTMENT PRICE PER INSERTION 1 Issue

2 Issues

3 Issues

4 Issues

5 Issues

6 Issues

1/2 Page

$1,750

$1,700

$1,650

$1,600

$1,550

$1,500

Full Page

$3,500

$3,450

$3,400

$3,350

$3,300

$3,250

AD EXAMPLES

2 Page Spread

$5,000

$4,950

$4,900

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$4,750

HALF PAGE AD

SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS:

• Complimentary tile Web Banner on SubTel news feed • Optional :30 Embedded Video (Full-Page and Two-Page Spread ads only) • Social Media acknowledgment (LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter) • Acknowledgment in announcement Press Release and Mailer

8.5” x 5.5”

2023 TOPICS & ARTWORK DEADLINES: January March May July September November

Global Outlook | Art due Jan 2 Finance & Legal | Art due Mar 6 Global Capacity | Art due May 1 Regional Systems | Art due July 3 Offshore Energy | Art due Sept 4 Data Centers/New Technology | Art due Nov 6

FULL PAGE AD

8.5” x 11”

ART & VIDEO REQUIREMENTS

• Full Page: 8.5” W x 11” H | Half Page: 8.5” W x 5.5” H • 300 dpi, High-Resolution PDF or JPG with crop marks • Optional Video: Include blank box in ad design for video over-lay (size: no restrictions) • Optional Video - 30 seconds • 1280 × 720 or 1920 × 1080 resolution – mp4 Video File

2 PAGE SPREAD

11” x 17”

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 101

S U B T E L F O R U M I S E X C I T E D T O PA R T N E R W I T H YO U R B U S I N E S S O N T H E F O L L O W I N G SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY

2

SUBTEL FORUM ALMANAC

Released quarterly and serves as a reference tool for anyone interested in the submarine cable industry. The Almanac features each major international system on its own page, along with a system map, landing points, system capacity, length, RFS year and other valuable data.

• Over 525,000 downloads per issue • Three months EXCLUSIVE Sponsorship

QUARTERLY INVESTMENT: $5,000

EXCLUSIVE 3-MONTH SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS:

• Full-Page Ad (optional :30 embedded Video) near front of document • Logo/Link on Cover and acknowledgment on Publication Webpage • Complimentary tile Web Banner on SubTel news feed • Social Media acknowledgment (LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter) • Acknowledgment in announcement Press Release and Mailer

ART & VIDEO REQUIREMENTS

• Full Page: 8.5” W x 11” H • Add an additional .125” all the way around if you’d like your ad to bleed • 300 dpi, High-Resolution PDF or JPG with crop marks • Optional Video: Include blank box in ad design for video over-lay (size: no restrictions) • Optional Video - 30 seconds • 1280 × 720 or 1920 × 1080 resolution – mp4 Video File

ARTWORK DEADLINES:

February/March/April Issue May/June/July Issue August/September/October Issue November/December/January Issue

102 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

Art due Feb 6 Art due May 8 Art due Aug 7 Art due Nov 13

S U B T E L F O R U M I S E X C I T E D T O PA R T N E R W I T H YO U R B U S I N E S S O N T H E F O L L O W I N G SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY

3

SUBTEL FORUM INDUSTRY REPORT

Updated annually, the Report provides the most accurate, comprehensive data on the submarine fiber market. The analysis of data includes system capacity analysis as well as the actual productivity and outlook of current and planned systems and the companies that service them.

• Over 560,000 downloads per issue • One-year exposure

YEARLY INVESTMENT: $4,250

SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS:

• Two-page Spread Ad • Complimentary Tile Web Banner on SubTel news feed • Social Media acknowledgment (LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter) • Acknowledgment in announcement Press Release and Mailer

ART & VIDEO REQUIREMENTS

• Full Page: 8.5” W x 11” H | Art due Oct 2 • Add an additional .125” all the way around if you’d like your ad to bleed • 300 dpi, High-Resolution PDF or JPG with crop marks • Optional Video: Include blank box in ad design for video over-lay (size: no restrictions)

LOCK IN NOW FOR 2023!

Sponsors can lock into a specific category below. First come-first served!

• Global Overview

• Supplier Analysis

• Current Cable Ships

• Transatlantic Regional Market

• History of Submarine Telecoms

• System Suppliers

• Shore-End Activity

• Transpacific Regional Market

• System Growth

• Installers

• Market Drivers and Influence

• Americas Regional Market

• Out of Service Systems

• Surveyors

• Hyperscalers

• AustralAsia Regional Market

• Evolution of System Ownership

• Recent Mergers, Acquisitions,

• Data Centers

• EMA Regional Market • Indian Ocean Pan-East Asian

and Customer Base

and Industry Activities

• Special Markets

• Capacity Ownership

• System Maintenance

• Offshore Energy

• Financing Analysis

• Publicity

• Unrepeatered Systems

• Historic Financing Perspective

• Reporting Trends & Repair Times

• Sustainability

• Regional Distribution of Financing

• Club Versus Private Agreements

• Regional Market Analysis and

• Current Financing

• Cable Ships

Regional Market • Polar Regional Market

Capacity Outlook

Note: Subtel Forum reserves the right to change categories

NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 103

S U B T E L F O R U M I S E X C I T E D T O PA R T N E R W I T H YO U R B U S I N E S S O N T H E F O L L O W I N G SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY

4

SUBTEL FORUM PRINT CABLE MAP

Add your Logo to this beautiful, large format print map which showcases every major international submarine cable system, and we are proud to say, hangs in many offices in our industry.

• Only 22 spaces available!

• Over 3,500 distributed • PTC '24 and SNW '24 Conferences Distribution • Art Deadline| November 3

YEARLY INVESTMENT: $4,500

SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS:

• Complimentary tile Web Banner on SubTel news feed • Social Media acknowledgment (LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter) • Acknowledgment in announcement Press Release and Mailer • 25 Complimentary copies for Sponsor

A CLOSER LOOK

ＮＴＴ�ＷＥ�ＭＡＲＩＮＥ�

RED SEA

ᵬᵲᵲᴾᵵᶍᶐᶊᶂᴾᵣᶌᶅᶇᶌᶃᶃᶐᶇᶌᶅᴾᵫᵿᶐᶇᶌᶃᴾᵡᶍᶐᶎᶍᶐᵿᶒᶇᶍᶌᴾᴾ

GULF INDIAN OCEAN

Suez

Afghanistan

Al-Faw Haql

Kharg Bushehr

Iran

lco

n N TG

Khasab

Das Island

Doha

2

Abu Dhabi

Saudi Arabia

Jask

Dubai

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TE AS

Al Seeb

Muscat

United Arab Emirates

Thuwal

India

MS SEA-M

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TRANSPACIFIC

37.7K KMS HCS

37.7K KMS

Transatlantic

97K KMS

98K KMS

Mangawhai Heads Access

115.9K KMS

Whenuapai

Nelson

115.9K KMS

Polar

Levin

51.9K KMS

wa

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3K KMS

Christchurch

Nu

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4B

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3.5B

REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF NEW CABLE, 2013-2022 OF NEW CABLE, 2023-2026 REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF NEW CABLE, 2013-2022

Transpacific

NEX

TRANSATLANTIC

TRANSATLANTIC

85.4K KMS

85.4K KMS

POLAR

Sandy Point Four Mile Bluff

3B

(IN BILLIONS USD)

REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF NEW CABLE 2013-2022

En

Haw

McGaurans Beach

1.5B

REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF NEW CABLE, 2013-2022

r Cro ou ern av de uth So

na nd

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Melbourne

1B (IN BILLIONS USD)

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2025

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Coral Sea

Espiritu Santo

SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEM INVESTMENT SUBMARINE CABLE SYSTEM INVESTMENT, 2013-2022 2023-2026

2024

2021

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SUBMARINE CABLES OF THE WORLD

Punta Dungeness

Toco

Colombia

2019

PPC-1

Port Hedland

East

Stanley

Puerto Chacabuco

Pigeon Point

Camuri

2022

Indigo Central

Tortel

4

2020

Savusavu

Port Vila

Port Elizabeth SAEX East

Maiquetia

Venezuela

Honiara

METISS

Cape Town

Panama

Cartagena Panama Tolu City Ustupo

2018 Arawa

Perth

Maldonado

Bandjermasin

Pangkalanbun

Saint John's

Canefield Port Castries

Riohacha Punto Fijo

Barranquilla

Puerto Limón

2023

Kokopo

Alotau

Mtunzini

Uruguay

23 Las Toninas

Costa Rica

Bonaire Curaçao

2015

Kavieng

Kimbe

Popondetta

South Africa

Quellon

Basseterre

CS PC

PAC

PAN

Bluefields

Toweli Sulawesi

2016

South

SAEX

II

Lae

Australia

Madagascar

Balikpapan

-AM

San Andres

Tarawa

Hawaiki Nui

Linao

Punta Arenas

Madang

Daru Port Moresby

JGA

Kupang

Nicaragua

Kerema

Dill

Ende

ACC-1

Sainte Marie

E3

t Wes ASC

Maputo Maputo

go

Madagascar Toliara

st

ME-W

Botswana

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Namibia

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Papua New Guinea

Hawaiki Nui

Labuan Bajo

A-1

2014

SEA-

Zimbabwe Swakopmund

Jayapura

Wewak

Makassar

Waingapu

San JuanS Tortola CF Ponce

ALB

2017

Darwin

Toamasina

Puerto Plata

Dominican Haiti Republic

Kaliko

Morant Point

2013

Majuro

Mahajanga

C OA

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Sulawesi

Lorengau

Nacala

Mozambique

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N-

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Christmas Island

Papua

Providenciales

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Azerbaijan

Ras Ghareb

Egypt

Libya

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ob

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Guyana

Uzbekistan

Poti

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A

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Georgetown Totness

Colombia

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US BR

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5

Venezuela

13

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Santa Cruz de La Palma San Sebastian de la Gomera

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San Andres

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Buenaventura Puerto General Villamil

Dickenson Bay

Puerto Cabezas

Panama

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-1

Santo Domingo

Morant Point

Puerto Lempira

Morocco

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a

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Bluefields

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/ OS BI

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-1

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mbu

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NE

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rn

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net

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Crooked Island

Cancun

MA YA

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Marsh Harbour

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So

mbu

1

M-

SA

Nassau

-1 CSN Arcos-1

Tulum Manzanillo

s II

Jacksonville

13

Naples

Mexico Mazatlán

Casablanca

Funchal

Vũng Tàu

FEA SE AH2

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Mongolia Novorossiysk

3

AS

PA C

XT

Oran

Nador

EIG

13

Vero Beach

Nui

-1

aiki

TBD

ras

SEAHaw

Manele Bay

FEA Asilah

Sihanoukville

Kazakhstan

Odessa

Mangalia

Bulgaria

TE

6

24 15

Unity

US

AAG

PLCN

ab Se

ACC-1

e-1

Alicante

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CS s PC bu I lum s Co ca eri rth Am No

ost Bifr

Echo

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enc

Ponta Delgada

Serbia

a

PLCN

Echo

PC-1 Unity

30 Myrtle Beach

51

4

Faial

Ponta Delgada

Ukraine

Romania

Croatia Italy

Pescara Toulon Bar Ar İğneada sin Bari Ajaccio Istanbul Olbia Durres oe Otranto Cagliari Greece A Turkey Ses Covetes - WE -ME-WE Preveza Palermo Koropi 4 Bizerte5 Minerva Collo Mersin Haw Catania Marmaris k Blue Kélibia El MENA Africa Girne Djemila -1 Heraklion Tartus Syria Chania I-MEMedNautilus MEDUSA -WE E Beirut SE TEAS A-ME-WE 6 FEA LEV AC Tunisia Darna PE TE N Tripoli Amman Tel Aviv orth El Quawef Tobruk

2Afric

18

Tijuana

ACC-1

16

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

Vũng Tàu

Austria

24

Monte Carlo Marseille

Válencia

Okha Mys Levashova

Czech Republic

39

19

Bilbao Vigo

E

43

3

3

5

Germany

Veules-les-Roses

France Le Porge

Hopper

Spain Portugal 4 2

SE

uth

So

Grace

a

fric

2A

Graciosa

Plerin

Saint Hilaire

Amitie

Dunant MAREA

Flores

Virginia Beach

5

Lannion Penmarch

Apollo

EXA Express

Grace Hopper

Apollo

E3

SEA-ME-W

TGN Atlantic AC-2

FA-1

North

-2 E/AEC

Amitie

MAC

Grover Beach

JUNO

ern

JUNO

h

FRU

Dunant

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FA-1

SEA-M

72

HAV AC-2

AC-1

79

Tuckerton

116

EIG

ter

Lynn

Manasquan

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New Victoria

Pennant Point

Buffalo 14

20 26

3

X IE

Toronto

34

12

Ella

st Jupi

s

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Faster

United States

Cambodia

Co

Ea

Japan-US

TPE

10

89

Bude

d

4

5

Belarus Poland3

EASS SEAC y OM

ite

9

Winema

3

Florence

Mielno Rostock

Zandvoort 32

2Afric

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2

Nedonna Warrenton Beach

Point Arena

Milton

Rose Blanche

12

Harbor Pointe

ter

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Netherlands

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ka

17

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5

Killala

Galway

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Thailand

Magadan

Latvia Klaipeda

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Port Said

Philippines

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Ventspils

Liepāja

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7

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5

Stockholm

Larvik

Kristiansand Thisted

Aberdeen

del Vallo

Kélibia

Tunisia

Algeria Ballesteros

Russia

Laos

Katthammarsvik

Husnes

Stavanger

Banff

Vaasa

Norway

Kollsnes

Sandwick

Orkney

United Kingdom

PEA CE

AC-1 Dunnet Bay

-2 AEC RUE/ HAVF Leckanvy

No

Ce Maywick

Leif Erikson

Happy Valley-Goose Bay

PC-1

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Finland

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Canada Haines

Kodiak

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Grindavik

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ress

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Homer

Larsen Bay Perryville False Pass

13

Shantou

73

China

5 Wenchang

Iceland

Nuuk

Varna

Durres

Istanbul

TEA

2 Vietnam

Bodø Seyðisfjörður

Maniitsoq

Mangalia

Balchik

Bulgaria

Bar Bari Otranto

S

r Exp Pola

SOUTHEAST ASIA Pevek

Rǿst Sisimiut

Iqaluit

Kerch

Serbia

Dubrovnik

Pescara

Olbia

TEA

Pol

ar

res s

Amderma

Polar Express Murmansk Aasiaat

Cape Dorset

Italy Civitavecchia Rome-Fiumicino

oe

Greece Corfu SEA Cagliari Crotone Preveza -ME -WE Trapani Palermo 5 Catania Bizerte Mazara ue

Polar Exp

Prudhoe Bay

Prudhoe Bay

Ajaccio Ar sin

Romania

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Genoa

2 Toulon

Bl

Tiksi

Utqiaġvik

Kotzebue

Nome

7

Monte Carlo France

Berbera

CE PEA h Hawk TE Nort AAE-1

rd

ntill

Somaliland Somalia

Croatia

C-1 EMI

Svalba

Dikson

ion Subsea

Qui Wainwright

Point Hope

France Savona

Djibouti City

South Sudan

Expres

s

Point Hope

Aden

IEX

Djibouti City

Polar

Polar Express

3

G

E

Svalbard

Greenland

SIN

1

Mumbai

MEDITERRANEAN

SEAca-

Afri

2Africa

Al Hudaydah

6

-1

EMIC

OM EIG SEAC

E5

ME-W

FEA E6 an ME-W 4 Ram SEA-

SEA-M

-1 AAE IEX 2Africa/PEARLS sia Eura TGN

FEA

Al Ghaydah

E-WE

Yemen

AS

n

TEAS

Salalah

Yemen

Eritrea

TE

CS Rama

WE I-ME-

BBG C OA

E-W 1 -M AAE- 3 I n -WE Falco -ME 5 4 SEA -WE -WE EIG -ME -ME CE SEA SEA PEA an rica Ram FEA S 2Af TEA asia Eur y TGN

IC-1

EM

Sudan

n

ma

Ra

GBI

E-W E TGN 3 rica Gulf /PEA RLS

Oman

Jeddah

EAS S

Karachi

MEN

Saudi Arabia

Chabahar

6

EIG

NA 6 le ME -WE Cab on -ME M SEA Visi di CO Sau ca-1 SEA Afri 2Africa

GBICS

Yanbu

Port Sudan

Pakistan

Bandar Abbas

Gulf

Manama

A

an

2Af

Ram Duba

Egypt

-ME -WE

Kuwait City Fa

Ras Ghareb

SEA

Zaafarana

Invercargill

Dunedin

EMEA

71.4K KMS

32.1K KMS

32.1K KMS

AustralAsia

87.2K KMS 87.2K KMS

POLAR

INDIAN OCEAN INDIAN OCEAN

32.9K KMS

148.6K KMS

New Zealand

EMEA

129.4K KMS

129.4K KMS

EMEA AUSTRALASIA

88.2K KMS

AUSTRALASIA

88.2K KMS

AMERICAS

Americas

AMERICAS

TOP DATA CENTER PROVIDER FACILITY COUNT

CONTENT PROVIDER FACILITY COUNT

TOP DATA CENTER PROVIDER FACILITY COUNT

CONTENT PROVIDER FACILITY COUNT

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CenturyLink Amazon

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Google

CyrusOne Telehouse

Facebook

PTT 0

China Unicom China Mobile

0

104 SUBMARINE TELECOMS FORUM MAGAZINE

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