FEATURE
OUT OF THE FRYING PAN AND INTO THE FIRE? How the Submarine Cable Industry May Be Escaping One Hostage Situation Only to Run Into Another BY JULIAN RAWLE
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forward to enjoying not only a choice of routes but also ccording to a recent study by JRC, there is now well improved resiliency and lower cost. over 100 Tbit/s of demand for connectivity between JRC has had the privilege of being involved in submarine Asia and Europe, rivalling the transatlantic and cable developments in this area for the last two years. We transpacific routes. However, whereas there is plenty have comprehensively studied the scope for route diversity, of route diversity on those other routes, geography both submarine and terrestrial, and we have made an inand geo-politics have dictated that practically all traffic bedepth analysis of demand for connectivity to Europe from tween the Orient and the Occident uses a terrestrial route Asia, Africa, and Australasia. In doing so, we have met between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea that is and discussed the opportunities and threats in this market built entirely on Egyptian soil. with all kinds of stakeholders, including those building Now, while the geography has not changed, there have new systems and their been tectonic shifts potential customers. in Middle Eastern What has become clear political sands which to us from this research may finally allow some is that new routes much-needed route diavoiding Egypt could versity. Nothing is yet face exactly the same certain in this regard challenges that have and there is plenty of beset the industry since evidence to suggest the first submarine fithat more upheavals in ber-optic link between this region should be Asia and Europe, expected which could, SEA-ME-WE-1, was again, shut down these commissioned in 1986. opportunities but for SEA-ME-WE-1 1986 Source: https://atlantic-cable.com/stamps/1986singapore.jpg Today, there are the time being, cable eleven major operdevelopers, carriers, ational intercontinental submarine fiber-optic systems and other users of East-West connectivity are looking
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SUBMARINE TELECOMS MAGAZINE