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SUBMARINE TELECOMS INDUSTRY REPORT

SUBMARINE TELECOMS INDUSTRY REPORT 2025 | 2026

IN THIS ISSUE ISSUE 150 | September 2026

FEATU RES

FROM REACTIVE TO PREVENTIVE: STRENGTHENING THE RESILIENCE OF CRITICAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE WITH DISTRIBUTED ACOUSTIC SENSING

THE MIDDLE POWER PROBLEM: A PHYSICAL LINK FOR SCALING PACIFIC BANDWIDTH AND AI DATA CENTERS

Strengthening energy infrastructure through distributed acoustic sensing

by Nathaniel Harmon

Scaling Pacific bandwidth through offshore power

by Dr. Carlos Becerril

60 BEYOND THE FIREWALL: WHY OIL & GAS NEEDS PREEMPTIVE CYBERSECURITY NOW Protecting oil infrastructure through preemptive cybersecurity

by Greg Berlocher

68 THE SOUTH ATLANTIC DIGITAL CORRIDOR: A VISION FOR DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY, OPEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND BI-OCEANIC CONNECTIVITY IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE Building South America’s South Atlantic digital corridor

by Javier Valdez

DIGITAL TRANSIT AND THE HEART OF THE SILICON FOREST: WHY THE FINAL 100 MILES DEFINES GLOBAL AI CAPACITY

KEEPING ISLANDS CONNECTED: BUILDING TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESILIENCE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC

SAEX EAST: WHERE DO THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW?

Connecting subsea systems through final-mile infrastructure

Building resilient connectivity across South Pacific islands

by Rosalind Thomas

by Matt Updenkelder

by Isobel Yeo, Mike Clare, Alexandra Loveridge, James Christie, Rebecca Nottingham, Camino Kavanagh, John Wrottesley, Mele Manu, Rennie Vaiomounga, Rhinehart Silas, and Semisi Panuve

Advancing SAEx East toward financial close

CONFERENCE PREVIEW 42

WHY ATTEND IWCS 2026?

11 QUESTIONS WITH DAVID KIDDOO

Celebrating 75 years of cable innovation

Talking Submarine Cable Industry with IWCS’s CEO/Director.

1- 4 N O V E M B E R 2026 G AY L O R D PA L M S R E S O R T & C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R , O R L A N D O, F L O R I D A D EPART M ENTS 6

EXORDIUM

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104 BACK REFLECTION

SUSTAINABLE SUBSEA

110

ON THE MOVE

WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE ALL THOSE PESKY CABLE SHIPS?

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DEPT TITLE TEXT LONGER SUBHEADING INSIDE SUBTEL FORUM: TEXT

25 Yearsby of Submarine Cable Intelligence Author Name

SubTelForum.com

Visit SubTelForum.com to find links to the following resources In 2026, SubTel Forum marks 25 years as the leading independent intelligence platform serving the global submarine cable industry. Over a quarter century, SubTel Forum has evolved from a specialist publication into the industry’s most trusted source for data, analysis, mapping, and editorial insight. SubTelForum.com now stands as the central reference point for operators, suppliers, investors, governments, and advisors shaping global connectivity. What follows is a guide to SubTel Forum’s most important products and resources for 2026.

IN DEPTH INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS At the core of SubTel Forum are its flagship publications, which define how the industry understands itself. Submarine Telecoms Industry Report (Annual) The industry’s benchmark analytical report. Each edition delivers rigorous assessment of market 4

SUBTEL FORUM | Issue 150

structure, ownership trends, capacity growth, investment drivers, and forward outlooks. It remains essential reading for executives and policymakers navigating an increasingly strategic infrastructure sector. Submarine Cable Almanac (Biannual) A data driven reference providing detailed system level coverage of global submarine cable networks. Each biannual edition includes maps and structured data on routes, capacity, ownership, status, and technical attributes. It is one of the most frequently cited resources in the industry. Cableship Codex (Biannual, Launching 2026) New in 2026, Cableship Codex is a biannual intelligence product focused exclusively on the global cable ship fleet. It delivers authoritative coverage of vessels, ownership, technical capability, utilization trends, and market dynamics. For the first time, the industry gains a structured, recurring reference

dedicated to the assets that build and maintain global subsea infrastructure.

CABLE MAPS AND VISUALIZATION TOOLS Online SubTel Cable Map An interactive digital platform mapping more than 600 submarine cable systems worldwide. It supports research, planning, and analysis through an intuitive interface designed for professionals. Printed Submarine Cable Map The definitive physical reference of global submarine fiber infrastructure. Updated and reprinted multiple times each year for distribution at key industry conferences, it reflects the latest system developments and is widely displayed in offices, boardrooms, and event venues across the global subsea sector. SubTelForum.com Directory The SubTel Forum Directory is the industry’s most comprehensive free listing of vetted submarine cable companies, service providers, and specialists. Designed for speed and clarity, it enables practical commercial discovery and strengthens community connectivity across the ecosystem.

NEWS AND DAILY INTELLIGENCE News Now RSS Feed The daily pulse of the submarine cable industry. News Now curates global coverage spanning projects, outages, regulation, technology, and geopolitics. It is a core tool for staying informed in a fast moving sector.

of submarine communications. Magazine Archive Spanning more than 25 years, the Submarine Telecoms Forum Magazine Archive offers an unmatched historical record of the industry’s evolution. It serves as a living institutional memory for researchers, analysts, and practitioners. Authors Index The Authors Index enables readers to locate articles by contributor and follow the work of leading industry voices, reinforcing SubTel Forum’s role as the platform of record for submarine cable thought leadership. Bespoke and Special Reports SubTel Forum produces tailored reports addressing specific market needs, including Global Outlook analyses, data center and OTT studies, offshore energy connectivity, regional systems assessments, unrepeatered systems reviews, and comprehensive cable datasets covering more than 550 systems. After 25 years, SubTelForum.com remains the industry’s most complete and trusted intelligence platform. Built on continuity, independence, and execution discipline, it continues to support those designing, financing, building, and operating the infrastructure that connects the world.

SubTel Forum App The SubTel Forum App continues to mature in 2026 as a primary mobile access point. It integrates news, editorial content, data driven insights, and alerts into a streamlined experience built for real time awareness and professional use.

EDITORIAL KNOWLEDGE HUB Must Reads and Q&As A curated collection of long form articles, interviews, and expert discussions exploring the technical, commercial, historical, and strategic dimensions MAGAZINE | September 2026

EXORDIUM

Welcome to Issue 150 of SubTel Forum, our Offshore Energy edition, featuring a preview of the International Wire & Cable Symposium ’26. Training this summer has been a bit tougher than usual, as the heat and humidity of a typical Virginia August have been particularly slow to recede. My running friend Anne has taught me, in considerable detail, about dew point—something I came to appreciate firsthand when I recently slipped into the early stages of heat exhaustion halfway through a 19-mile effort. But this morning, temperatures finally dropped into the 50s F for the first time since May, and I couldn’t be happier. We don’t officially use the words “climate” and “change” in the same sentence these days, so perhaps our hottest July on record was simply another fluke. But in any case, it is nice to be moving in Autumn, albeit slowly. It will be interesting to see whether our weather lexicon begins to change again after elections in November.

ODE TO DEREK CASSIDY I never met Derek Cassidy in person, but we had a pen pal relationship over some 16 years, and when Peg and I were visiting Ireland in the summer of 2025, Derek offered to arrange a guided tour of the Valentia Island Cable Museum, a multiple years long endeavor he had personally persevered and spearheaded, and a visit we thoroughly enjoyed. Derek was one of SubTel Forum’s most prolific writers, and he authored some 33 articles from 2010 6

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to his most recent article as recent as July, this one with a young budding scholar new to most of us. I knew for a while that he was sick, and I felt and supported his drive to say what he needed to say about our industry – we always made room for Derek in these pages as he always had something worthy of reading. Goodbye, Derek. It was a sincere pleasure knowing you and you will surely be missed.

INSIDE ISSUE 150: POWERING CONNECTIVITY AND RESILIENCE Explore submarine networks and offshore connectivity through cable innovation, distributed acoustic sensing, offshore power, AI-driven bandwidth, cybersecurity, digital sovereignty, final-mile connectivity, and telecoms resilience.

COMING IN OCTOBER: INDUSTRY REPORT ISSUE 15 The *Submarine Telecoms Industry Report* returns in October 2026, examining capacity demand, investment, ownership, system development, maintenance, cable ships, hyperscalers, technology, regulation, and regional growth through 2027 and beyond. Contact Hannah Schiffman for sponsorship opportunities.

PTC ’27 CABLE MAP: LIMITED SPOTS REMAIN SubTel Forum’s latest *Submarine Cables of the World* wall map launches at PTC ’27 in Honolulu this January. With 15 advertising spots sold, contact Hannah Schiffman to secure yours.

CABLESHIP CODEX ISSUE 2 – COMING THIS NOVEMBER November’s *Cableship Codex* highlights the vessels supporting submarine cable installation, maintenance, repair, and recovery worldwide. Contact Hannah Schiffman to reserve advertising space.

THANK YOU! Our thanks, as always, go to our outstanding authors, with special appreciation to this issue’s advertisers: ACS, APTelecom, Fígoli Consulting, Hexatronic, IWCS Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum, Southern Cross, and WFN Strategies. And don’t miss our perennial reader favorite, Where in the World Are All Those Pesky Cableships? Enjoy the issue, stay chill, and as always—Slava Ukraini! .

A Publication of Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc. www.subtelforum.com ISSN 1948 3031 EXECUTIVE President and Publisher Wayne Nielsen | wnielsen@subtelforum.com | +1 703 798 4630 Vice President Kristian Nielsen | knielsen@subtelforum.com | +1 703 861 3647 EDITORIAL AND ANALYTICS Analytics Kieran Clark | kclark@subtelforum.com | +1 540 533 6965 SALES AND ADVERTISING REPRESENTATION Sales and Advertising Hannah Schiffman | hschiffman@associationmediagroup.com | +1 804 469 0340 Advertising information: subtelforum.com/advertise-with-us Department Writers Contributions from SubTel Forum editorial staff and industry experts including Shereen Alaaeldin, Kieran Clark, Andrés Fígoli, Michelle George, Kristian Nielsen, Wayne Nielsen, Phillip Pilgrim, Hannah Schiffman, Anjali Sugadev, and Melina Tisopulos Feature Writers Dr. Carlos Becerril, Greg Berlocher, James Christie, Mike Clare, Nathaniel Harmon, Camino Kavanagh, Alexandra Loveridge, Mele Manu, Rebecca Nottingham, Semisi Panuve, Rhinehart Silas, Rosalind Thomas, Matt Updenkelder, Rennie Vaiomounga, Javier Valdez, John Wrottesley, and Isobel Yeo NEXT ISSUE November 2026 – Data Centers & New Technology featuring PTC '27 Article Index subtelforum.com/article-index/

Company Directory directory.subtelforum.com

Author Index subtelforum.com/authors-index

Magazine Archive subtelforum.com/magazine-archive

Online Submarine Cable Map subtelforum.com/submarine-cable-map

GOVERNANCE Board of Directors Wayne Nielsen, Margaret Nielsen, Kristian Nielsen and Kacy Nielsen Corporate information: subtelforum.com/corporate-information

Wayne Nielsen is the founder and publisher of Submarine Telecoms Forum, one of the industry’s most trusted intelligence platforms, reaching more than 150,000 readers in 115 countries. He is also Managing Director of WFN Strategies, with over 35 years of global submarine cable experience spanning commercial, governmental, and offshore energy systems.

SUBMISSIONS Contributions are welcomed and should be submitted to: pressroom@subtelforum.com PUBLISHING AND LIABILITY NOTICE Submarine Telecoms Forum magazine is published bimonthly by Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc. It is an independent commercial publication serving as a freely accessible forum for professionals engaged in submarine cable systems and global digital infrastructure. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from the publisher. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the publisher accepts no liability for errors

or omissions in editorial or advertising content, or for any consequences arising therefrom. The editor reserves the right to edit all submitted material. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND ENQUIRIES Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc. | 19471 Youngs Cliff Road, Suite 100 | Sterling, Virginia 20165 USA | Phone: +1 703 790 4630 | Website: www.subtelforum.com Copyright © 2026 Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc.

SUBTEL CABLE MAP UPDATES MAPPING THE WORLD’S SUBMARINE CABLE INFRASTRUCTURE by Kieran Clark The SubTel Cable Map—powered by Esri’s ArcGIS platform—offers an interactive and detailed way to explore the global network of submarine cables. This indispensable resource provides information on over 440 existing and planned systems, more than 50 cable ships, and upwards of 1,100 landing points. Connected directly to the SubTel Forum Submarine Cable Database and integrated with our News Now Feed, the map enables real-time tracking of industry activity and cable-specific news coverage. Submarine cables serve as the foundation of global digital infrastructure, carrying more than 99% of international data traffic. These systems enable the seamless connectivity the world depends on—from personal communication to enterprise operations. Without them, modern, high-speed global communication simply wouldn’t be feasible. Our analysts continually update the map using verified data from the Submarine Cable Almanac and valuable input from industry contributors. This ensures a timely and accurate picture of the subsea cable landscape, spotlighting the latest deployments and developments. As we approach the end of the year, map updates may slow during the holiday season, but our commitment to delivering reliable insights remains unchanged. We’re proud to feature WFN Strategies as the current sponsors of the SubTel Cable Map. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available—offering high-visibility placement for your logo and a direct link to your organization. It’s a great way to align your brand with global connectivity and the future of the submarine cable industry. We invite you to explore the SubTel Cable Map and gain a deeper understanding of the vital role submarine cable systems play in our interconnected world. As always, if you are a point of contact for a system or company that requires updates, please email kclark@subtelforum.com. 8

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We hope the SubTel Cable Map proves to be a valuable resource for you, offering insight into the continually evolving submarine cable industry. Dive into the intricate network that powers our global communications today. Happy exploring!

Kieran Clark is Senior Analyst at Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc. He joined in 2013 as a Broadcast Technician supporting live event streaming, bringing over eight years of production experience. Promoted to Analyst in 2014, he now leads research and maintenance for the SubTel Forum Submarine Cable Database and Online Map, with analysis featured across most SubTel Forum publications.

EX DI CO

The w active

UPDAT

XPLORE ISCOVER ONNECT

world's most comprehensive intere submarine cable map

TED. ACCURATE. ESSENTIAL.

S EP T 21, 2026 N EW SYST E M S:

• ICS1 (ION Cable System 1)

• Narwhal 1 • SHV-HK (Siha-

noukville-Hong Kong)

• TCS (Trans-Caspian Submarine Cable System)

• TELUS North Shore Submarine Cable

• UGARIT 2

UP DAT E D SYST E M S:

• ALC (Asia Link Cable) • AMX-1 (America Movil Submarine Cable System-1)

• Anjana • AUG East (Asia United Gateway East)

• Barracuda • Bifrost • Candle • EMCS (East Micronesia Cable System)

• MEDUSA • PASELA • SAEx SON East

(South Asia Express - Southern Oceans Network)

• SAEx SON West

(South Atlantic Express - Southern Oceans Network)

• SMAP (Sydney-Melbourne-Adelaide-Perth)

• Fastnet

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Map Legend Landings (1145)

Cable System Age 0-5 Years (69) 11-15 Years (67) 6-10 Years (79) 16+ Years (204) Planned Systems (74)

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ANALYTICS

OFFSHORE ENERGY AND UNREPEATERED SYSTEMS AN A SNAPSHOT OF WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE ARE H This article draws on findings from Sub- munications to support an expanding range of critiTel Forum’s 2025/26 Submarine Indus- cal offshore applications. try Report to examine two specialized OFFSHORE OIL & GAS AND FIBER COMMUbut increasingly important areas of the NICATIONS submarine cable industry: offshore en- In the offshore oil & gas sector, high-bandwidth, communications are critical for supportergy communications and unrepeatered low-latency ing complex platform operations (drilling, extraction, systems. safety monitoring, logistics). Operators are increasOffshore oil, gas, and renewable energy projects are placing greater demands on reliable, high-capacity subsea connectivity to support remote operations, automation, monitoring, and increasingly integrated offshore infrastructure. At the same time, unrepeatered systems continue to serve a distinct role in shorter-distance, coastal, and inter-island connectivity, despite a broader industry shift toward long-haul repeatered networks. Together, these sectors illustrate how submarine fiber continues to evolve beyond traditional point-to-point telecom-

ingly adopting advanced fiber-optic networks to enable real-time data exchange and remote control of offshore installations (MarketsandMarkets, 2025). These fiber links provide the backbone for applications such as real-time equipment monitoring, high-definition video feeds, and automation systems, allowing onshore teams to supervise offshore facilities with minimal delay. The rising need for reliable, high-speed data across remote oilfields has driven robust growth in offshore communication infrastructure (MarketsandMarkets, 2025). In practice, fiber-optic cables are often complemented by

Figure 1: Unrepeatered Systems by Year, 2021-2025 12

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NALYSIS: HEADED

Figure 2: Unrepeatered Systems by Region, 2021-2025

4G/5G wireless networks on the platforms, but it is the fiber to shore that ensures the bulk data can be transmitted for cloud-based analytics, IoT sensors, and other digital oilfield applications (MarketsandMarkets, 2025). Recent expansions of subsea fiber networks underscore their importance for oil & gas. In the Gulf of Mexico, specialized telecom operators have now deployed around 1,500 km of subsea fiber, connecting roughly 20 deepwater platforms to onshore landing stations (Tampnet, 2025). For example, a new 200 km fiber extension was awarded in 2025 to link the Woodside–Pemex Trion project in Mexican waters to shore, enabling that deepwater field to be operated and monitored from an onshore control center in real time (Tampnet, 2025). In Brazil, Petrobras’s major Malha Óptica initiative is rolling out a 440 kilometer subsea fiber system to modernize communications in the Campos Basin, connecting 12 offshore production platforms with

two onshore stations (Offshore Mag, 2024). This system, coming online in 2025, will greatly enhance data capacity for Brazil’s most important oil fields, linking them directly to onshore operation centers for improved safety and efficiency (Offshore Mag, 2024). Similar upgrades are occurring in other regions like the North Sea and Middle East, as operators replace legacy satellite or microwave links with fiber to achieve higher throughput and more reliable connectivity. The benefits of fiber-optic communications for offshore oil & gas are evident in day-to-day operations. High-capacity fiber links allow experts on land to conduct remote inspections (through sensors or even robots) and oversee drilling or production adjustments without needing to be physically present on the platform. This reduces the number of personnel required offshore and enhances safety. For instance, the fiber connection to the Trion field will enable remote operations, safety oversight, and MAGAZINE | September 2026

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SUBMARINE TELECOMS INDUSTRY REPORT 2026/2027 edition | Issue 15

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ANALYTICS

Figure 3: Unrepeatered KMS by Year, 2021-2025

even virtual training from Woodside’s onshore facility in Mexico (Tampnet, 2025). Oil companies are increasingly leveraging such links to implement “digital twins” of their platforms and subsea equipment, gaining live data feeds that support predictive maintenance and quick decision-making. As one industry leader noted, when it comes to data speed, reliability, and scalability, “no other technologies can compete with fibre optics,” which is why offshore projects focused on safety, low carbon emissions, and efficiency consistently “invest in fibre to shore.” (Tampnet, 2025) Fiber’s virtually unlimited bandwidth and low latency compared to satellite make it the preferred option for real-time analytics, big data transfers (such as seismic survey data or high-resolution video), and critical control signals. In short, fiber-optic networks form the digital backbone of the modern offshore oilfield, enabling initiatives in automation, AI-driven analytics, and the Internet of Things to be fully realized in remote ocean locations (MarketsandMarkets, 2025). 16

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Expansion of Offshore Wind and Fiber Communications While oil & gas remains a dominant driver of subsea telecom demand, the offshore wind industry’s rapid growth is creating a new frontier for fiber communications. Global offshore wind capacity has been expanding at an unprecedented pace – roughly tripling from about 29 GW in 2020 to over 75 GW by the end of 2023, and reaching 83 GW in 2024 (Business Norway, 2024), (GWEC, 2025). Projections indicate this growth will continue aggressively, with analysts forecasting on the order of 400–500 GW of offshore wind worldwide by the early 2030s (Business Norway, 2024), (GWEC, 2025). Europe still leads the market (with the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and others at the forefront), but China has now emerged as the single largest player, accounting for roughly 50% of global installed offshore wind capacity (Business Norway, 2024). New markets are also coming online in the Asia-Pacific

Figure 4: Unrepeatered Investment by Region, 2021-2025

and North America – for example, the United States ate the wind farm (Roy, 2023). In fact, virtually all has set a target of 30 GW by 2030 and began in- modern wind farms use optical fiber to connect the stalling its first large-scale projects, while countries turbines’ control systems back to the central platlike South Korea and Japan have ambitious plans form or onshore control center (Roy, 2023). This alfor offshore wind deployments (Business Norway, lows operators to monitor turbine performance in 2024). This worldwide surge in offshore wind farms real time (e.g., rotational speed, power output, viis driving demand for rebration), remotely control “While oil & gas remains a dominant turbine settings, and coliable communications to driver of subsea telecom demand, ordinate the farm’s output manage the far-flung arrays of turbines. the offshore wind industry’s rapid with the onshore grid. The bandwidth requirements In offshore wind farms, fi- growth is creating a new frontier for per turbine are modest – ber-optic cables are intefiber communications.” mainly sensor data and grated mainly for control, control commands – espemonitoring, and grid integration rather than heavy cially compared to an oil platform streaming video data transfer. Typically, fiber strands are built into or seismic data. However, the scale of wind projthe submarine power cables that link turbines to ects (often dozens or hundreds of turbines spread offshore substations and bring power to shore. over a wide area) means a robust communication These fibers carry the Supervisory Control and Data network is still critical. As offshore wind farms grow Acquisition (SCADA) signals, protective relay comlarger and are installed farther from shore, reliable munications, and other telemetry needed to operfiber communications become essential to maintain MAGAZINE | September 2026

ANALYTICS

Figure 5: Unrepeatered Planned Systems by Region

control and safety. Fiber ensures that even far-off turbines (including future floating wind turbines in deep water) can be supervised continuously despite distance or harsh weather. It also enables remote diagnostics and software updates for turbines, reducing the need for maintenance vessels to make frequent trips. Overall, fiber-optic connectivity in offshore wind underpins the farm’s operational efficiency and stability – from transmitting SCADA data to enabling quick fault detection in subsea cables via distributed fiber sensors (Roy, 2023). Given the massive expansion projected (with the industry expecting dozens of gigawatts of new capacity annually toward 2030 (GWEC, 2025)), the installation of fiber communications for offshore wind is set to accelerate, ensuring these renewable energy installations have the same level of network reliability as other critical infrastructure.

INTEGRATION OF OFFSHORE OIL, GAS, AND WIND INFRASTRUCTURE 18

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As the offshore energy sector evolves, there is growing interest in hybrid energy systems that integrate oil & gas platforms with offshore renewables like wind. Such integration can include sharing subsea infrastructure (power cables, communications links) and even direct power supply from wind turbines to oil & gas facilities. Fiber optics will be the nervous system of these integrated networks, enabling unified monitoring and control across different energy assets. One prominent example is the Hywind Tampen project in the North Sea – the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm – which was built specifically to provide electricity to nearby oil and gas platforms (Business Norway, 2024). This 88 MW floating wind farm, located ~140 km off Norway, now supplies power to several petroleum production platforms (in the Snorre and Gullfaks fields), helping to cut their carbon emissions by an estimated 200,000 metric tons per year (Business Norway, 2024). The hybrid setup relies on subsea cables that carry both power and communication

signals, allowing the wind farm and the oil platforms to operate in sync. For instance, fiber-optic communications link the wind farm’s control system with the oil installations and onshore control centers, so that power flow and platform electricity demand can be balanced in real time.

munications in offshore energy is poised to grow significantly. Both oil & gas and offshore wind are pushing further offshore and relying more on digitalization, which will require ever-more extensive communication networks. Industry forecasts project steady growth in the oilfield communications market (nearly 8% annually through 2030), driven by the need for reliable, high-speed data links in remote operations (MarketsandMarkets, 2025). Similarly, the continued build-out of offshore wind – with hundreds of new turbines to be connected each year – will entail a parallel build-out of fiber connectivity. However, there are several challenges and uncertainties that could influence the pace of these developments:

More broadly, oil & gas companies looking to decarbonize their offshore operations are exploring co-locating renewable energy sources or battery storage with their rigs. Some projects propose using excess wind power to run platform equipment or to generate green hydrogen at sea. These scenarios will depend on high-speed data links: a common fiber network could connect turbines, gas platforms, and onshore grids into “By sharing communications infrastrucone integrated system. Oil & Gas Sector Uncertainture, an operator can manage multiple ties: The oil & gas industry By sharing communications infrastructure, an energy assets from a single control room faces cyclical and geopooperator can manage – for example, simultaneously oversee- litical risks. Fluctuating oil multiple energy assets ing a wind farm’s performance and an prices can impact capital from a single control spending on infrastructure room – for example, si- oil production platform’s processes via like telecom cables – a unified fiber-optic telemetry.” multaneously overseeprolonged price downturn ing a wind farm’s performight delay fiber network mance and an oil production platform’s processes investments if companies cut costs. Additionally, via unified fiber-optic telemetry. This kind of integra- regulatory pressures to reduce carbon emissions tion promises cost savings (sharing cables and facil- could change offshore development plans, while ities) and improved sustainability (using renewables geopolitical events (territorial disputes or sanctions) to power fossil-fuel operations), but it also elevates might restrict operations in certain regions. These the importance of a resilient communications back- factors create a cautious environment for long-term bone. Fiber optics provide the secure, high-band- investments, even as the need for digital connecwidth channel needed to coordinate such complex tivity grows. Nonetheless, the drive for efficiency interdependent systems, ensuring that whether it’s and safety means that most new offshore projects a wind turbine or a gas compressor, each compo- are likely to include fiber communications from the nent can be monitored and controlled as part of one outset, as it’s seen as mission-critical infrastructure large network. As hybrid offshore energy parks be- rather than an optional add-on. come more common (especially in regions like the Offshore Wind Headwinds: Despite positive longNorth Sea), we can expect fiber networks to expand term growth projections, the offshore wind sector in tandem, effectively blurring the line between has encountered near-term challenges including “telecom cable” and “power cable” in the offshore supply chain bottlenecks, rising costs, and policy domain. uncertainty. In 2023–2024, several government power auctions in established markets failed or FUTURE OUTLOOK AND CHALLENGES saw weak participation due to cost inflation and Looking ahead, the demand for subsea fiber comunclear subsidy frameworks, and key turbine manMAGAZINE | September 2026

ANALYTICS

ufacturers struggled with backlogs and component shortages (GWEC, 2025). These issues have led to a slight downgrading of short-term offshore wind installation forecasts (GWEC, 2025). Fewer or delayed wind projects in the immediate future could slow down the roll-out of new subsea fiber links that would have accompanied those farms. Furthermore, offshore wind developers are grappling with grid connection delays and permitting hurdles, which in some cases postpone the need for communication cables until projects get on track (GWEC, 2025). Overcoming these hurdles will be essential for the industry to resume its rapid growth, and by extension, for the expansion of its supporting fiber-optic networks.

itive. Both industries recognize that high-capacity, reliable communications are no longer a luxury but a necessity for modern operations. The push toward real-time data, automation, and remote operation will only intensify in the coming years, making fiber-optic cables as fundamental to an offshore project as pipelines or power cables. Indeed, technologies like edge computing, AI analytics, and remote-controlled robotics are beginning to feature in offshore operations – all of which depend on solid connectivity. In the offshore wind realm, larger farms and new technologies (e.g., energy islands, floating turbines) will require even more sophisticated network solutions to maintain control over widely distributed assets. In the oil & gas realm, digital oilfield initiatives will extend to more fields, with fiber enonshore experts “As hybrid offshore energy parks be- abling to be virtually present on come more common (especially in re- offshore platforms 24/7.

Infrastructure Resilience: As offshore communications networks become more extensive, ensuring their resilience and secu- gions like the North Sea), we can expect Subsea fiber-optic netfiber networks to expand in tandem, works will continue rity is paramount. Subsea cables face hazards from effectively blurring the line between to form the communianchors, fishing activities, ‘telecom cable’ and ‘power cable’ in the cations backbone of and even potential malioffshore energy infraoffshore domain.” cious interference. In the structure. They enable wind sector, for instance, efficiency gains, safety cable failures (whether due to mechanical stress improvements, and the integration of cleaner eneror external damage) have been a leading cause of gy sources by providing the fast, dependable links project downtime and insurance claims (Roy, 2023). that tie it all together. As offshore oil & gas and wind A severed fiber cable to an oil platform or wind farm projects both expand and increasingly intersect, the can instantly cut off vital data flows. To mitigate this, demand for these high-bandwidth connections is operators are investing in cable protection mea- set to rise unabated. The coming decade will likely sures, redundancy (backup links or alternate rout- see further innovation in how we deploy and utilize ing), and advanced monitoring – for example, fiber subsea fiber – from smarter cable designs to multisensing technologies that can detect and locate cause cables serving power and data – ensuring that ble disturbances in real time. There is also increas- even in the most remote oceans, energy operations ing attention on cybersecurity for these networks, stay connected in real time to the rest of the world. since they carry operational commands for critical UNREPEATERED SYSTEMS energy infrastructure. Building robust, redundant, and secure fiber systems will be a continuing chal- An unrepeatered cable system is defined by the lenge as the offshore energy communication web absence of submerged repeaters between landing grows larger and more interconnected. stations, allowing optical signals to traverse the full span without intermediate amplification. Typically, Despite these challenges, the long-term outlook for these systems are constrained to distances under subsea fiber in offshore energy remains very pos20

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250 kilometers, though a few projects have successfully extended beyond that range. Their appeal lies in several key advantages: lower capital expenditure, simplified design and deployment, and faster implementation where shorter connections meet regional needs. They can also accommodate higher fiber counts, and when configured in festoon arrangements, they enhance redundancy and resilience for coastal networks. These traits continue to make unrepeatered systems a compelling option for specialized applications, even as the global market increasingly emphasizes long-haul, repeatered networks.

a global reorientation toward repeatered cables, which better align with surging demand for high-capacity, long-haul routes. Nevertheless, the persistence of a small number of unrepeatered builds each year shows that they remain essential for filling in connectivity gaps. The outlier years, such as 2021 and 2022, likely reflect the commissioning of multi-segment festoon systems, where one large project generates several entries in annual counts.

Regional distribution further emphasizes the importance of unrepeatered systems in certain geographies. EMEA continues to dominate, with 12 of the 23 systems—over half the global total—laid between Between 2021 and 2025, the number of publicly an- 2021 and 2025. This is broadly consistent with the nounced unrepeatered cable systems has declined previous reporting cycle, when EMEA also led with compared with earlier “This suggests that while unrepeatered roughly two-thirds of periods. A total of 23 global unrepeatered systems have been systems are not disappearing, they are in- builds. The region’s gepublicly announced creasingly confined to specific regional or ography explains much for deployment during project-driven needs. The volatility in de- of this trend: extensive this five-year span, ployment also highlights the reliance of the coastlines, numerous versus 26 in the premid-sized markets, unrepeatered market on a few large projvious cycle. The trend and a need for feswas front-loaded, with ects, as opposed to the steadier, more pre- toon systems around eight systems each dictable growth of repeatered systems.” the Mediterranean and announced in 2021 North Sea. AustralAsia and 2022. By comparranks second with 5 ison, only four systems were announced in 2023, systems, or 22% of the total. Its consistent share with projections of one in 2024 and two in 2025. demonstrates the continued reliance on unrepeatThis pattern highlights a tapering trend, as annu- ered infrastructure for inter-island connectivity, paral announcements have fallen from near double ticularly across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The digits early in the cycle to very low single digits by Americas added 4 systems, representing 17%, down the mid-2020s. Unlike the steadier rhythm of an- slightly from the prior cycle. Meanwhile, the Indian nouncements seen in the preceding period, the Ocean recorded 2 systems, a modest 9%, but nota2021–2025 window reflects greater volatility and a ble for an area that previously contributed little to sharper slowdown in unrepeatered system devel- this category. opment activity. The comparison with previous cycles highlights This decline may suggest that the core markets for how regional priorities are shifting. While EMEA’s unrepeatered systems—particularly shorter coastal dominance is unchanged, the Americas’ decline connections—may be reaching saturation, or are suggests that coastal festoon networks there have experiencing difficulty with financing. In many ma- matured, reducing the need for new unrepeatered ture regions, the most critical festoon and short-haul builds. AustralAsia’s steady participation indicates networks have already been built, leaving fewer op- the ongoing relevance of unrepeatered cables in portunities for new systems. The timing also reflects geographically fragmented markets. The emerMAGAZINE | September 2026

ANALYTICS

gence of the Indian Ocean, though small in absolute terms, reflects a diversification of demand, with unrepeatered cables now being deployed in areas previously considered marginal. This broadening of regional participation underscores the specialized but still necessary role of these systems.

ered systems has been heavily skewed toward the Americas, which account for $612 million, or nearly half the global total. This is striking given that the Americas deployed only 4 systems in the period. The implication is that projects in the region are significantly more expensive on a per-system basis, likely due to longer coastal spans, higher fiber counts, or greater requirements for armoring and burial. EMEA, despite leading in system count, invested only $254 million (20%), reflecting a large number of smaller-scale builds. AustralAsia invested $225 million (18%), consistent with its role in inter-island projects, while the Indian Ocean contributed $188 million (15%).

When measuring total kilometers of unrepeatered cable installed, the picture becomes more nuanced. In 2021, 6,800 kilometers of unrepeatered cable were deployed—an extraordinary total that dwarfs all other years in the cycle. This spike likely corresponds to a handful of large festoon systems linking multiple coastal nodes, where cumulative kilometers rise quickly even though individual links remain short. In 2022, 3,200 kilometers were in- The disparity between system counts and investstalled, again well above the average for unrepeat- ment underscores the dual nature of the unrepeatered builds. By contrast, 2023 saw only 1,100 kilo- ered market: some regions deploy numerous small, meters added, one of the relatively inexpensive “The disparity between system counts lowest figures of the pesystems, while others riod. Projections for 2024 and investment underscores the dual na- focus on fewer but capand 2025 indicate 1,900 ture of the unrepeatered market: some ital-intensive projects. kilometers and 4,000 kiloCompared to the previregions deploy numerous small, relameters, respectively. This ous cycle, the Americas tively inexpensive systems, while others have increased their uneven pattern demonfocus on fewer but capital-intensive share of investment even strates that kilometer totals are more sensitive as their system count projects.” to the presence of largehas declined, showing scale festoon projects than to overall system count. a shift toward higher-value projects. EMEA’s lower investment per system reflects the efficiency of its Comparing with the 2020–2024 cycle, the sharp festoon builds, while AustralAsia’s steady investpeaks in 2021 and 2022 mirror earlier years when ment highlights ongoing needs across fragmented major festoon projects inflated kilometer counts. geographies. The Indian Ocean’s 15% share is notaHowever, the long-term trend points downward: ble, marking its emergence as a legitimate particieven with periodic spikes, the average annual kilopant in the unrepeatered segment. meters installed are lower than in past cycles. This suggests that while unrepeatered systems are not Looking ahead, the pipeline of planned systems redisappearing, they are increasingly confined to spe- mains modest but regionally diverse. Eight new uncific regional or project-driven needs. The volatility repeatered systems are expected, led once again in deployment also highlights the reliance of the un- by EMEA with 4 systems, or half of the total. The repeatered market on a few large projects, as op- Americas are projected to add 2 systems, reflecting posed to the steadier, more predictable growth of a continued if selective role for unrepeatered projrepeatered systems. ects in the region. AustralAsia and the Indian Ocean will each add 1 system, accounting for 12.5% each. Investment patterns provide another angle. BeThis planned distribution suggests that the market tween 2021 and 2025, total investment in unrepeatwill remain steady, with small but regionally signif22

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icant deployments continuing in line with historical patterns. Compared to prior outlooks, the planned pipeline is smaller, suggesting that the major opportunities for unrepeatered projects may already have been addressed. However, the regional balance points to resilience: EMEA remains the anchor of the market, the Americas continue to play a capital-intensive role, and AustralAsia and the Indian Ocean sustain participation based on local geographic needs. This balance illustrates that unrepeatered systems will remain relevant, but increasingly as niche solutions rather than a growth driver.

patterns. EMEA dominates by number of builds, while the Americas dominate by capital outlay, and AustralAsia and the Indian Ocean sustain smaller but steady shares. Looking forward, the limited pipeline confirms that unrepeatered systems will continue to play a specialized role, particularly in coastal and inter-island markets, even as the industry overall prioritizes long-haul, repeatered capacity.

In summary, unrepeatered systems have entered a phase of stabilization, with fewer overall deployments but continued regional importance. The data from 2021–2025 show declining system counts, volatile kilometer totals, and highly uneven investment

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MAGAZINE | September 2026

SUSTAINABLE SUBSEA RAISING THE BAR: WHY THE SUBSEA CABLE INDUSTRY NEEDS A SUSTAINABILITY AWARD By Shereen Alaaeldin and Melina Tisopulos Sustainability has become a strategic imperative across the digital infrastructure sector. However, meaningful progress requires more than ambitious commitments or corporate sustainability statements. In the subsea network industry, which forms a critical component of the international digital infrastructure underpinning the global digital economy, additional mechanisms are needed to transform sustainability from an aspiration into measurable action. One such mechanism is a sustainability award. Rather than being viewed as merely another recognition program or a form of “greenwashing,” a well-designed sustainability award can serve as an industry-wide platform that institutionalizes sustainability, embeds it into business practices, and establishes it as a core measure of operational excellence. Accordingly, the launch of a sustainability award dedicated to the subsea network industry represents an important opportunity to address this gap. Such an initiative can accelerate the integration of sustainability principles across every stage of the industry’s lifecycle while promoting measurable best practices, innovation, transparency, and continuous improvement. This impact extends well beyond recognizing excellence. A well-designed Sustainable Subsea Network Award would provide a structured framework for identifying, evaluating, and disseminating proven sustainability practices. Through transparent, evidence-based assessment criteria, the award would encourage continuous improvement while creating a repository of practical case studies that demonstrate how sustainability can be successfully implemented in real-world subsea projects. These documented examples become valuable learning resources, enabling operators, suppliers, marine contractors, technology vendors, and consortium partners to adopt proven approaches rather than reinventing solutions independently. Over time, this process builds a shared body of industry 24

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knowledge, establishes common benchmarks, and normalizes sustainable practices throughout the global subsea ecosystem.

THE SUSTAINABILITY IMPERATIVE FOR THE SUBSEA CABLE INDUSTRY Subsea cable networks are the skeleton of the development of the global digital economy, connecting continents, supporting the emerging digital technologies, development in cloud platforms, businesses, and billions of users worldwide. As digital transformation accelerates, these networks have become critical infrastructure while the subsea sector is entering one of the most significant periods of expansion in its history, driven by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). While investment in AI infrastructure has largely focused on hyperscale data centers, the long-haul terrestrial and submarine networks interconnecting these facilities are becoming equally essential. Looking ahead, industry forecasts indicate that international content provider bandwidth will increase approximately nine-fold between 2025 and 2035, fueled by hyperscale cloud providers, AI platform companies, and a growing number of specialized AI infrastructure providers (Mauldin 2026). The emergence of autonomous AI agents, increasingly sophisticated machine learning models, and real-time AI applications is expected to further intensify demand for international bandwidth, reinforcing the strategic importance of resilient and scalable subsea infrastructure. Although forecasting the precise pace of future bandwidth growth remains challenging, the longterm trajectory is clear: the global demand for resilient, high-capacity international connectivity will continue to grow, positioning the subsea cable field as a critical enabler of the next generation of digital infrastructure. This unprecedented growth presents both an opportunity and a responsibility. Expanding subsea networks at this scale requires significant investments throughout the lifecycle, including cable

vironmental and social practices while promoting responsible sourcing of materials (Starosielski et al., 2024).

manufacturing, marine installation, cable landing stations, maintenance vessels, and supporting infrastructure – all of which have environmental, social, and governance (ESG) implications. Consequently, the subsea ecosystem’s success can no longer be measured solely by capacity, resilience, and commercial performance. Sustainability must become an integral component of project planning, delivery, operations, and lifecycle management. The sustainability practice is becoming essential for ensuring that the growth of global connectivity is matched by equally ambitious progress in sustainable development and the safeguarding of resources for future generations.

EMBEDDING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGHOUT THE SUBSEA NETWORK LIFECYCLE In a subsea network, the lifecycle begins with strategic planning and route selection, where environmental impact assessments, marine biodiversity protection, stakeholder consultation, and regulatory compliance play critical roles in minimizing ecological disturbance as depicted in Figure 1. During the design phase, sustainability principles encourage the adoption of energy-efficient technologies, modular system architectures, durable materials, and designs that accommodate future technological upgrades without requiring major infrastructure replacement. In addition, sustainable procurement practices can help ensure that suppliers, contractors, and manufacturers adhere to responsible en-

During installation and deployment, project teams can reduce carbon emissions and operational impacts through optimized vessel routing, efficient resource utilization, waste minimization, and careful management of marine ecosystems. Once operational, sustainability focuses on improving network reliability, reducing energy consumption at cable landing stations, implementing predictive maintenance technologies, and maximizing asset lifespan through proactive lifecycle management. The integration of renewable energy sources and digital monitoring systems further enhances operational efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Eventually, in the decommissioning phase, opportunities are presented to implement circular economy principles through cable recovery, recycling of valuable materials, responsible waste management, and the restoration of affected marine environments. Rather than treating decommissioning as the end of the asset’s value, sustainable practices seek to recover economic and environmental benefits from retired infrastructure. Collectively, these practices represent a comprehensive lifecycle approach to sustainability. They should become standardized industry best practices, embedded within the planning, delivery, operation, and decommissioning of every subsea cable system and consortium project to ensure that sustainability is consistently integrated into the development of future digital infrastructure.

WHY RECOGNITION MATTERS: INSIGHTS FROM LITERATURE AND OTHER INDUSTRIES Sustainability awards are often mutually beneficial: by encouraging companies to reduce their environmental footprint, firms in turn build greater ESG credibility that improves investment outcomes. For instance, a study examining Vietnam’s Sustainability Reporting Award, which is determined based MAGAZINE | September 2026

SUSTAINABLE SUBSEA

ket reactions to award announcements from 2004 to 2013 found that awards recognizing sustainability, quality, and safety have a positive effect on shareholder returns, with sustainability awards garnering the strongest response, especially for smaller firms (Eroglu et al., 2016). Additionally, these awards not only facilitate action for the winners, but also can help initiate a wide change in the sector. A study on the impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) awards in China found that firms were increasingly motivated to strengthen their own CSR practices and “catch up” with their competitors who received such recognition. This competitive response was particularly strong when firms expected tangible benefits for their improved performance, such as progress towards closing the financial gap between their performance and that of their competitors (Li et al., 2022).

Figure 1: Sustainability Throughout the Subsea Network Lifecycle

on the quality and credibility of firms’ ESG disclosures, found that award recipients generally underperformed in the broader market and compared to non-winning firms before the announcement. However, following the announcement, winners experienced higher average abnormal returns for several days afterwards. This effect reflects how investors are increasingly perceiving ESG efforts as an indicator of a company’s long-term performance and risk resilience. Companies with more developed ESG systems also weathered the economic disruption of the pandemic more effectively and are better positioned to mitigate risks associated with environmental harm and unethical conduct (Buertey et al., 2025). Similarly, an analysis of U.S. stock mar26

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For example, in China, Yang et al., (2025) found that prestigious innovation awards significantly improved companies’ environmental and social performance by enhancing corporate reputation, facilitating access to finance, and stimulating research and development, demonstrating that well-designed awards can serve as effective policy instruments for accelerating sustainability transformation.

BEYOND RECOGNITION: HOW AWARDS DRIVE INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION Other industries have demonstrated that sustainability awards can serve as a catalyst for change. Beyond strengthening an organization’s reputation among investors and consumers, these awards can encourage institutional-level reform by providing an incentive to prioritize long-term sustainability progress. The best case for this is the University of Auckland. In 2019, it became the first-place recipient of the inaugural Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings Award and has since continued to rank within its top ten institutions. Following this recognition, sustainability has been given greater emphasis in

Table 1: Literature Review & Implications for SSN Award

Study

Main Finding

Buertey et al.

Awards improve investor confi- Recognition creates business valdence ue

Li et al.

Awards motivate competitors

Yang et al.

Awards improve ESG perfor- Recognition drives sustainability mance

Ben Mohamed et al.

Awards alone are insufficient

Independent verification is essential

Marrucci et al.

Risk of greenwashing

Evidence-based assessment required

Cucuzzella

Awards institutionalize sustain- Awards establish industry benchability marks

the university’s annual reports and strategic plans, with surveyed faculty members expressing that the award helped institutionalize the campus’ environmental efforts and affirm sustainability as a defining characteristic of the university (de Villiers et al., 2025). However, the study also revealed that some faculty members questioned whether the award encouraged genuine environmental progress or if it merely incentivized easily marketable and “award-worthy” activities (de Villiers et al., 2025). Other recent research has also highlighted this as a risk that future award frameworks must address. Ben Mohamed et al., (2024) reported that companies receiving CSR awards were not necessarily associated with higher levels of independently assured sustainability reporting, suggesting that awards may sometimes become reputational signals that substitute for rigorous external verification. Likewise, Marrucci et al., (2025) also found that many environmental award winners continued to communicate sustainability claims without sufficient evidence, transparency, or scientific substantiation, raising concerns about potential greenwashing. These findings underscore an important lesson for

Implication for SSN Award

Encourages provement

industry-wide

im-

the subsea cable industry: sustainability awards create value only when they are supported by transparent evaluation criteria, measurable performance indicators, and independent verification. Rather than recognizing sustainability commitments alone, award frameworks should assess demonstrable outcomes across the entire subsea network lifecycle. Such an evidence-based approach can help embed sustainability into engineering, project management, and operational decision-making while strengthening the long-term resilience, competitiveness, and environmental performance of global digital infrastructure. From this perspective of the Sustainable Subsea Networks Group, we believe that creating an award represents only one of many steps toward building a sustainable global cable system. Our role is to design a platform that adds real value by promoting sustainability practices across the subsea networks industry.

WHY THE SUBSEA CABLE INDUSTRY NEEDS A DEDICATED SUSTAINABILITY AWARD While sustainability awards have become increasingly common across industries, few are designed MAGAZINE | September 2026

SUSTAINABLE SUBSEA

to address the unique characteristics and challenges of digital infrastructure, and even fewer specifically recognize sustainability excellence in the subsea cable sector. Existing telecommunications awards typically celebrate achievements in network performance, technological innovation, customer experience, or commercial growth, while broader environmental, social, and governance (ESG) awards often apply generic assessment criteria. The subsea cable industry presents a distinctive sustainability context that cannot be adequately evaluated using generic corporate ESG indicators alone. Submarine cable systems are long-lived, capital-intensive assets that traverse environmentally sensitive marine ecosystems and require complex coordination among manufacturers, marine contractors, network operators, regulators, scientific institutions, and environmental organizations throughout their lifecycle. Consequently, sustainability in this sector extends well beyond carbon reduction to encompass biodiversity conservation, responsible route planning, circular economy practices, stakeholder engagement, resilient network design, and transparent governance. Recognizing excellence across these interconnected dimensions requires an assessment framework tailored specifically to the operational, environmental, and social realities of subsea infrastructure. A dedicated sustainability award addresses this gap by establishing industry-specific benchmarks that reflect the full lifecycle of submarine network systems. Through transparent evaluation criteria, independent assessment, and evidence-based metrics, the award encourages organizations to move beyond compliance and demonstrate tangible environmental, social, and governance outcomes. Equally important, it provides a platform for sharing best practices, showcasing innovative solutions, and fostering healthy competition across the global subsea ecosystem. By recognizing projects that successfully integrate sustainability into engineering, project management, and operational decision-making, the 28

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award helps institutionalize sustainability as a core indicator of excellence, ensuring that the future growth of global digital infrastructure is matched by equally ambitious progress in environmental stewardship and long-term resilience. According to Cucuzzella, (2022), green awards function as governance mechanisms that define best practices, establish transparent sustainability benchmarks, and encourage continuous improvement across an industry, extending their role beyond merely recognizing environmental excellence. By recognizing projects that successfully integrate sustainability into engineering, project management, and operational decision-making, the award helps institutionalize sustainability as a defining measure of industry excellence.

EMERGING SUSTAINABLE SUBSEA NETWORK (SSN) AWARD: A NEW INDUSTRY BENCHMARK Recognizing the need to accelerate sustainability across the subsea cable ecosystem, the Sustainable Subsea Networks (SSN) Working Group, operating under the SubOptic Foundation and SubOptic Association, is considering launching the Sustainable Subsea Network (SSN) Award, the first subsea networks-led recognition program dedicated exclusively to sustainability excellence in subsea infrastructure. As global demand for digital connectivity continues to grow, the subsea sector requires mechanisms that move beyond voluntary commitments and encourage measurable progress. Therefore, the proposed award aims to provide a structured framework for recognizing organizations that demonstrate outstanding environmental stewardship, innovation, and sustainable project delivery through practical initiatives and evidence-based case studies implemented across the subsea network lifecycle. Beyond celebrating achievements, the SSN Award is designed to foster a culture of continuous improvement and position sustainability as a defining indicator of engineering excellence alongside network reliability, resilience, and innovation.

To ensure credibility and comparability, submissions must demonstrate quantifiable sustainability outcomes, align with internationally recognized frameworks such as ESG principles and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and be submitted as research papers or practical case studies. Open to operators, suppliers, manufacturers, academic institutions, researchers, consultants, and other stakeholders, the award adopts an inclusive approach that encourages participation from across the entire subsea value chain.

such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The previous findings reinforce that the credibility of the proposed Sustainable Subsea Network (SSN) Award will depend on adopting objective, evidence-based assessment criteria supported by independent expert evaluation, measurable sustainability indicators, lifecycle performance metrics, and transparent reporting requirements.

By integrating robust verification mechanisms with international ESG and SDG frameworks, future susEntries will be evaluated by an independent panel tainability recognition in the subsea cable networks of experts using transparent criteria and measurcan move beyond rewarding good intentions to able sustainability metrics recognizing demonstrable developed by the SSN “By establishing credible benchmarks, impact, thereby establishing Working Group in part- promoting knowledge sharing, and a trusted benchmark that nership with the SubOptic recognizing measurable impact, the promotes accountability, Foundation, ensuring that Sustainable Subsea Network Award continuous improvement, recognition is based on and genuine sustainability demonstrable impact and has the potential to transform sustainleadership across the global fostering a new benchability from an aspiration into a defindigital infrastructure ecosysmark for sustainability ex- ing characteristic of the next generatem. cellence across the globtion of global digital infrastructure.” As subsea infrastructure beal subsea cable industry. comes increasingly central CONCLUSION: RAISING THE BAR TOGETHER to the digital economy, the industry’s definition of The future success of awards in the subsea cable success must evolve beyond capacity, resilience, sector will depend not only on celebrating excel- and commercial performance. By establishing credlence but also on ensuring the credibility, transpar- ible benchmarks, promoting knowledge sharing, ency, and measurable impact of the achievements and recognizing measurable impact, the Sustainthey recognize. Evidence from the sustainability lit- able Subsea Network Award has the potential to erature presents both opportunities and cautionary transform sustainability from an aspiration into a delessons as discussed in the earlier literature and fining characteristic of the next generation of global shown in Table 1. While recognition programs can digital infrastructure. act as powerful catalysts for organizational change, WORKS CITED innovation, and ESG performance, their effectiveness ultimately depends on the robustness of their Ben Mohamed, E., Benzarti, M., & Ben Amar, A. (2024). Does CSR award affect sustainability asevaluation frameworks. Similarly, studies on green surance levels? Journal of Financial Reporting architectural awards show that recognition proand Accounting. Advance online publication. grams have evolved beyond symbolic accolades https://doi.org/10.1108/JFRA-07-2023-0403 into governance mechanisms that institutionalize sustainability by establishing transparent bench- Buertey, S., Alwi, S. K. K., & Nguyen, T. T. (2025). marks, disseminating best practices, and aligning Sustainability reporting awards and market reprofessional standards with global frameworks action: The sustainability awareness of investors MAGAZINE | September 2026

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on the Vietnam stock market. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 32(3), 3423–3437. https://doi.org/10.1002/ csr.3135 Cucuzzella, C. (2022). How do green awards assess sustainability? In J.-P. Chupin, C. Cucuzzella, & G. Adamczyk (Eds.), The rise of awards in architecture (pp. 77–104). Vernon Press. de Villiers, C., et al. (2025). The role of sustainability awards in institutionalising sustainability: Case study evidence. The British Accounting Review. Advance online publication. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.bar.2025.101735 Li, J., et al. (2022). Keeping up with the Joneses: Role of CSR awards in incentivizing non-winners’ CSR. Business & Society, 61(3), 649–689. https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650320982271 Marrucci, L., Iovino, R., & Iraldo, F. (2025). Environmental sustainability award winners: Do they communicate their environmental performance without potential greenwashing? Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 32, 2783–2794. https://doi.org/10.1002/ csr.3088 Mauldin, A. (2026). Connecting the AI revolution: Long-haul networks and bandwidth growth. TeleGeography. https://resources.telegeography.com/ai-long-haul-networks-bandwidthgrowth Yang, H., Wang, C., & Wang, G. (2025). Sustainability mission of award: The impact of innovation prize on ESG performance. Journal of Environmental Management, 380, Article 124939. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124939 Starosielski, N., Bojczuk, I., Pasek, A., Ramírez, G. N., Silcox, N. R., Sugadev, A., & Vaughan, H. (2024). Report on best practices in subsea telecommunications sustainability. Sustainable Subsea Networks. https://www.sustainablesubseanetworks.com/resources

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Shereen Alaaeldin is a Telecommunications Engineer and Business Development Manager at Telecom Egypt, specializing in subsea network development, international digital infrastructure, and strategic business initiatives. She is a Co-Convenor of the Sustainable Subsea Networks (SSN) Working Group under the SubOptic Foundation, contributing to initiatives that promote sustainability across the global subsea cable ecosystem. She is also a DBA researcher in Sustainable Project Management at Cairo University, focusing on the integration of sustainability principles into international digital infrastructure projects. Melina Tisopulos is an undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley studying Society and Environment (B.S.) and Media Studies (B.A.). She is a research assistant for the SubOptic Foundation’s Sustainable Subsea Networks team and is interested in state and federal energy policy, as well as renewable energy deployment for digital infrastructure.

MAGAZINE | September 2026

WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE ALL THOSE PESKY CABLE S FOLLOWING CABLE SHIPS BEYOND THE LAST PORT CALL by Kieran Clark A cable ship’s last facility stop can tell us something about the voyage that follows. In July and August, that connection brings more of the fleet’s repair and installation activity into view. Depots and factories provide the starting point, but the story continues as vessels leave port and move across the cable network. The period contains 13,547 distinct valid reports across 67 vessel identities. Repair accounts for 4,540 reports, or 33.5%, and installation for 1,073, or 7.9%. The remaining 7,934 reports are unclassified. These categories use the latest qualifying facility stop to interpret the vessel’s subsequent activity, including movement beyond the immediate port area. For this analysis, a vessel idling near a listed depot is assigned to repair, while a stop near a factory points to installation. The assignment follows the vessel until its next qualifying facility stop. Read this way, the summer picture becomes more connected, with repair emerging as the stronger of the two identifiable activities.

FOLLOWING ACTIVITY BEYOND THE FACILITY Figure 1 applies this interpretation across the global map. Blue repair activity and green installation activity now continue along subsequent reported positions, rather than ending at the edge of a facility radius. Grey marks reports for which the July-August record contains no earlier qualifying stop from which to establish an activity category. The map spans the North Atlantic, European waters, southern Africa, the Indian Ocean, and East and Southeast Asia. Pacific reporting also extends along western North America and toward Australia and New Zealand. Across that broad geography, a facility stop helps connect a sequence of positions to the preparation that preceded the voyage. The classification follows each vessel in time. Merely passing a factory does not turn a repair-associated voyage into an installation-associated voyage. The vessel must first meet the idle threshold within the facility radius. Similarly, an offshore pause retains the preceding assignment until a new qualifying stop provides a different basis for interpretation.

Figure 1: Vessel Activity Map (July-August 2026) 32

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This approach assigns 1,425 moving reports to an activity: 1,098 to repair and 327 to installation. Together, they represent 33.6% of the 4,236 moving reports in the dataset. That is

SHIPS?

activity the facility-only view left geographically detached from its previous stop. The map therefore gives a more useful account of how shore-side preparation connects with subsequent movement.

REPAIR LEADS THE IDENTIFIABLE ACTIVITY Figure 2 summarizes the inferred activity mix across all valid reports, including both moving and idle positions. Repair’s 33.5% share is more than four times installation’s 7.9%. Together, the two categories account for 41.4% of the reporting, while 58.6% remains unclassified. The balance points toward a larger repair-associated footprint within the part of the record that can be assigned. The idle and moving components reinforce that distinction. Among the 9,311 idle reports, 3,442 carry a repair classification and 746 an installation classification. Another 5,123 remain unclassified. Adding subsequent movement increases the reach of both operational categories, showing why the picture cannot be understood through facility stops alone. Unclassified reporting still has a precise role. It covers positions before the vessel’s first qualifying stop in this two-month record, including vessels that never make such a stop in the supplied data. A later visit does not retrospectively color earlier movement. This preserves the direction of the evidence while allowing a determination once a facility association becomes available.Infrastructure and Operational Continuity Figure 3 relates inferred activity to the infrastructure nearest each reported position. The largest geographic group remains outside the facility radius, but it now includes 2,246 repair-associated reports and 599 installation-associated reports. Those 2,845 positions demonstrate the additional operational context provided by following a vessel forward from its last qualifying stop. Near depots, the dataset contains 2,294 repair-as-

Figure 2: Activity Type (July-August 2026)

sociated reports, four installation-associated reports, and 46 unclassified reports. Near factories, the equivalent counts are 470 installation-associated reports, no repair-associated reports, and four unclassified reports. These totals include movement as well as pauses, which distinguishes them from the facility-stop counts in Figure 4. The small exceptions near facilities reflect the sequence of reporting. A vessel may approach a depot while still carrying an installation classification, because it has not yet recorded a qualifying idle position there. Likewise, an unclassified vessel can enter a facility radius before its speed establishes the stop that will determine its subsequent category. Location and activity tell different parts of the story. A ship can be far from a depot and still be following a repair-associated voyage. Keeping the last stop in view lets the map follow that connection offshore. It also avoids treating every departure as a loss of information about what the vessel is likely to be doing.

THE FACILITY NETWORK BEHIND THE PATTERN Figure 4 retains the direct count of idle reports near facilities. Depots account for 2,201 and factories for MAGAZINE | September 2026

WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE ALL THOSE PESKY CABLE S ASK THE EXPERT Question for the author(s)? Click here!

463, giving 2,664 facility-linked idle reports in total. The ratio is roughly 4.8 to one. These are the positions that supply the facility context for the operational interpretation, rather than a count of separate visits or completed jobs.

more prominent. July contains 1,810 repair-associated reports out of 6,540 valid reports, a share of 27.7%. August contains 2,730 out of 7,007, or 39.0%. Installation moves from 562 reports and 8.6% in July to 511 reports and 7.3% in August.

Singapore is the largest depot concentration, with 789 idle reports across six vessel identities. The Curacao APMA reference contributes 306 across five identities, followed by Cape Town with 239 across two. La Seyne Sur Mer accounts for 208 reports from one identity, showing how a substantial local concentration can depend on a single vessel’s reporting.

Together, repair and installation increase from 36.3% of July reporting to 46.3% in August. The direction remains when the comparison is limited to the same 64 vessel identities present in both months: the combined share rises from 36.9% to 46.3%. The three identities absent from August therefore do not explain the broader change in the classified share.

Factory-linked idle reporting is concentrated at three locations. The Yokohama factory reference contributes 286 reports across three identities, Calais 113 across four, and Newington 64 across two. The subsequent installation classification extends beyond those immediate locations as vessels move away. Individual facility vessel counts overlap and should not be added to produce a fleet total.

A STRONGER REPAIR SHARE IN AUGUST The monthly comparison shows repair becoming

Part of that change comes from seeing more of each vessel’s history. A July stop still informs its August activity, and later stops bring previously unclassified vessels into the picture. The rising repair share is a useful feature of the summer record, but it does not by itself mean that repair demand or completed work rose at the same rate. The port-side counts add an interesting detail. The share of idle reports near listed facilities falls from 34.1% in July to 23.4% in August, even as the inferred repair share grows. Those findings can sit together: fewer reports close to a depot need not mean less repair-associated movement once ships have left. Following the last stop gives that movement a place in the story, instead of allowing the facility connection to disappear as soon as a vessel moves beyond the radius. The underlying rules remain consistent: idle speed is 0.5 knots or less, the facility radius is 50 kilometers, and the nearest listed facility determines the stop type. Repeated copies of an identical report are counted once, and six distinct speed outliers are excluded. Activity labels represent the operational inference from those stops, rather than independently verified project records.

Figure 3: Activity by Infrastructure Type (July-August 2026) 34

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By the end of August, repair is the leading identifiable activity in the record. Installation occupies a smaller share, but its movements also extend beyond the factories where the classification begins. Following both beyond port makes the fleet’s summer pattern easier to read. The grey areas remain

SHIPS?

of a vessel’s reporting history, yet it helps explain the miles that follow. Tracking those connections over successive issues should make it easier to distinguish short-term shifts from more persistent patterns in where cable ships prepare, travel, and work.

Figure 4: Vessel-to-Facility Activity (July-August 2026)

where the available history offers no starting point; elsewhere, the last facility stop gives us a basis for following what comes next. Taken together, these movements show how closely the fleet depends on its shore-side network. A depot or factory stop may occupy only a small part

MAGAZINE | September 2026

11 QUESTIONS

11 QUESTIONS WITH DAVID KIDDOO: TALKING SUBMAR CEO/DIRECTOR AT CABLE & CONNECTIVITY INDUSTRY For more than seven decades, the IWCS TELECOMMUNICATIONS. HOW HAS IWCS Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum EVOLVED TO REFLECT THIS CHANGING has served as the premier event for the LANDSCAPE? cable and connectivity industry, bringing How do fiber optics, submarine cables, hyperscale infrastructure, data centers, advanced manufactogether manufacturers, network opera- turing, power cables, and emerging technologies tors, hyperscalers, installers, research- come together within a single event? ers, and technology leaders. It’s all about innovation. The telecommunications As the industry enters an era defined by AI infrastructure, data center expansion, and resilient global connectivity, IWCS continues to evolve as a key forum for innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence. Ahead of IWCS Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum 2026, we spoke with David Kiddoo, IWCS CEO/Director about this year’s priorities, emerging industry trends, and why IWCS remains an essential gathering for the global cable and connectivity community.

1. IWCS HAS SERVED THE CABLE INDUSTRY FOR MORE THAN 70 YEARS. WHAT CONTINUES TO DEFINE ITS MISSION, AND WHY IS THAT MISSION MORE RELEVANT TODAY THAN EVER? How has IWCS evolved over the decades? What role does it play in bringing together technology, innovation, education, and collaboration across today’s global connectivity ecosystem? Evolving to stay on top of the latest technological advancements within the telecommunications industry has been critical to the success of IWCS since its inception in 1952. What started as a relatively small event geared towards improving wires and cables for American-based military applications, the annual IWCS Forum has grown and evolved to become the premier international technology event for the exchange of information about product, material and process innovation for cabling and connectivity solutions.

and power industries are experiencing demand like never before. Extreme digital usage and data transfer (hello AI and data centers!) create a need for more efficient and reliable cables and connectivity products that can meet demand effectively and safely. This requires innovation at every step along the way—from halogen-free and sustainable materials, to low-loss cables, and advanced interconnect devices—and IWCS focuses on exchanging novel research addressing these important topics. 3. What technologies and industry trends are shaping this year’s conference?

Which innovations are generating the most excitement? Where do you see the greatest advances occurring in cable design, materials, manufacturing, testing, connectivity, AI infrastructure, and network deployment? A recent example of IWCS’s evolution is the introduction of special trend sessions, which focus on emerging technologies that are affecting the telecommunications landscape on a broad scale. At this year’s event, the 13 traditional Technical Symposium sessions will be enhanced with the addition of two trend sessions focused on sustainable grid infrastructure and cable and connectivity innovations to support the data center boom.

4. TECHNICAL EDUCATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE HEART OF IWCS. WHAT CAN ATTENDEES EXPECT FROM THIS YEAR’S TECHNICAL PROGRAM?

2. THE CONNECTIVITY INDUSTRY HAS How are papers selected? What makes the technical sessions unique? What topics do you believe will EXPANDED FAR BEYOND TRADITIONAL

have the greatest long-term impact on the industry?

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RINE CABLE INDUSTRY WITH IWCS’S FORUM 2026 As always, great care was taken in selecting the papers to be presented. Forty members of the IWCS Board of Directors and Symposium Committee, representing companies from ten unique countries, met earlier this year to review technical paper abstracts. Thanks to a strong response to the Call for Papers, attendees will experience an exceptionally high-caliber Technical Symposium featuring advancements in copper and fiber optic cables, innovative materials, codes and standards, sustainability, fiber coatings, connectivity solutions, and cable installation, with a particular focus on submarine applications.

celebration blends the sophistication of a royal gala with the awe-inspiring artistry of a world-class circus. This year, complimentary tickets are available to all attendees, their spouses, and family members, creating an even larger and more memorable networking experience. 6. Manufacturing and supply chains continue to evolve rapidly. What are the industry’s biggest opportunities and challenges? How are manufacturers responding to growing demand, changing materials, automation, workforce development, sustainability, and global supply chain pressures?

5. HOW DOES IWCS HELP FOSTER COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION ACROSS THE INDUSTRY? 7. AI, CLOUD COMPUTING, AND DATA CENBeyond technical presentations, how does the con- TER GROWTH ARE TRANSFORMING GLOBference encourage partnerships between manufac- AL INFRASTRUCTURE. HOW ARE THESE turers, operators, researchers, suppliers, custom- TRENDS INFLUENCING THE CABLE INDUSers, and investors? TRY? The Forum provides numerous opportunities for professional networking and social engagement with industry colleagues. A key part of the event experience is the Supplier Exhibition™, where industry suppliers showcase their products and services to attendees. Refreshment breaks and a happy hour are also strategically scheduled throughout the week to encourage networking and meaningful conversations. The Plenary Luncheon and Welcome Reception offer additional opportunities to connect with colleagues, with this year’s Welcome Reception taking on special significance as IWCS celebrates its 75th anniversary. The “Cirque Royale”

What impact are hyperscale investment and AI having on cable technology, manufacturing capacity, fiber deployment, and future innovation? These trends are altering the way we live and do business. The growing demand for data center capacity—largely fueled by the rapid expansion of AI-powered systems—is driving unprecedented demand for hyperscale cables and efficient data transmission. Reflecting this trend, the 2026 IWCS program features a record number of presentations addressing the technologies and innovations needed to support this rapidly evolving infrastructure. These novel topics will be addressed as Technical

David Kiddoo is the CEO / Director of IWCS, Inc. Prior to his current role, David spent over 20 years as the Global Business Manager for Wire and Cable insulation and sheathing products at AlphaGary Corporation. He also had 11 years of wire & cable experience with the Du Pont Company.

IWCS organizes the Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum as the premier technology event for the exchange of information about product, material and process innovation for cabling and connectivity solutions. IWCS also provides networking and development opportunities for industry professionals by offering educational webinars and scholarships.

MAGAZINE | September 2026

11 QUESTIONS

Symposium presentations, in the Executive Session, and in our special Trend Sessions focused on data center connectivity and grid infrastructure.

8. RELIABILITY, RESILIENCE, AND SUSTAINABILITY HAVE BECOME ESSENTIAL FOR GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY. HOW IS IWCS ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES? What conversations are taking place around network resilience, cybersecurity, infrastructure protection, testing, quality assurance, standards, and long-term reliability? These important issues start with high-quality and innovative cable materials and will be addressed in topic-specific Technical Symposium sessions at the event. On Tuesday Nov. 3, one of our four morning sessions is “Resilient Materials & Additives”, featuring presentations from ATK Flame Retardant Materials, iPOOL, Chroma Color, Exponent, and Innoleics. On the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 4, our “Engineering Sustainability in Cable Systems” features presentations from Prysmian, Celanese, Teknor Apex, KENKO, HFCL, and Nest Technical Services. Wednesday afternoon features presentations from AGC Chemicals, Syensqo, Gendon Polymer Services, Dow, and CommScope in the “Materials for Demanding Applications” session.

DAY, WHAT DEVELOPMENTS EXCITE YOU MOST? Which emerging technologies or market trends do you believe will have the greatest influence on the cable and connectivity industry over the next decade? As AI systems continue to be adopted at both personal and commercial levels, the cable and connectivity industry will need to continue innovating to keep pace with demand. This presents several challenges, including safety and performance. Unprecedented demand requires low-loss, high-density cables and innovative connectivity solutions. It’s exciting to see hollow-core and multicore fiber cable innovations paving the way for more efficient transmission, while also meeting safety and performance requirements that often begin with smart material selection.

11. LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF IWCS? How do you see the conference continuing to evolve as connectivity becomes increasingly central to AI, cloud computing, offshore energy, transportation, defense, and every aspect of the global digital economy? Attendees at recent IWCS conferences have com-

9. WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DOES IWCS PRO- mented on how much they appreciate the Trend VIDE FOR PROFESSIONALS NEW TO THE IN- Sessions added to the annual event program. DUSTRY? These sessions, which will continue to evolve at Whether someone is an engineer, researcher, manufacturer, operator, student, or first-time attendee, how does IWCS help them build knowledge, relationships, and career opportunities? Six Professional Development Courses are offered at the event. Instructed by renowned industry experts, these courses teach the basics on the topics of Fiber, Copper, Extrusion, and Materials. The halfday courses provide not only course instruction, but also encourage networking among those new to the industry.

10. LOOKING ACROSS THE INDUSTRY TO40

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future events, provide perspectives on broad-scale innovations that are changing the industry landscape. While Technical Symposium presentations are ideal for highly focused technical discussions, the Executive Session and Trend Sessions address timely topics such as AI, network connectivity, cloud computing, economics, supply challenges, and more. IWCS plans to continue providing a venue for these critical conversations so attendees can stay informed about the trends and developments driving industry change.

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MAGAZINE | September 2026 41 JANUARY 2025 73 SEPTEMBER 2024 || ISSUE ISSUE 140 138 73

75TH ANNUAL IWCS FORUM INCLUDES UNFORGETTABLE NEW ELEMENTS, PLUS A STRONG TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM

ENHANCED PROGRAM IN- traditional elements CLUDES TRADITIONAL ELE- of the IWCS Forum plus additionMENTS AND MORE

Join industry-leading cable and connectivity suppliers, manufacturers, and end users in Orlando this November to experience the latest innovations and developments shaping the global cable and connectivity industry. For 75 years, industry professionals representing communications, data, electronics, power, industrial, automotive, aerospace, and similar industries from around the world gather at the annual IWCS Forum for valuable networking, learning, professional development, and business opportunities. This premier event features the

al components that highlight trending developments and innovations affecting the cable and connectivity industry. These featured trend sessions are divided into discussions on the following topics: artificial intelligence and machine learnAlison Shapiro, PhD candidate at the University of Delaing, sustainable grid ware, discusses her study on XLPO during the Poster Session at IWCS 2025. infrastructure, plus cable and connecmorning is the first full day with tivity innovations to the Executive Session, Plenasupport the data center boom. ry Luncheon, Supplier ExhibiPrior to making travel arrangetion™, Poster Session, and Cirque ments, view the complete schedRoyale Anniversary Celebration ule, which begins on Sunday on Monday. Tuesday features adwith Professional Development ditional Supplier Exhibition time, Courses. Starting early Monday presentations in the exhibit hall, plus four technical sessions and two trend sessions. With nine technical sessions happening on Wednesday, plan to stay through the end of the event so you don’t miss compelling technical presentations.

TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM

SUBBTEL FORUM | Issue 150

ISSUE 150

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with more than 80 suppliers in the Supplier Exhibition.

The cornerstone of the IWCS Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum is the Technical Symposium, which begins Monday with the Executive Session, Plenary Luncheon with Keynote, and Poster Session. As always, great care was taken in selecting the papers to be presented. Forty members of the IWCS Board of Directors and Symposium Committee, representing companies from ten unique countries, met in May to review technical paper abstracts. Thanks to a strong response to the Call for Papers, attendees will experience an exceptionally high-caliber Technical Symposium that features multiple technical presentations in each of the following sessions.

• Fiber Coating Technologies

• Submarine Cable Design &

• Cable Installation

• Poster Session

• Copper: Data and Power Con-

• Copper Single Pair Ethernet

vergence

and Characteristics

Installation

• Resilient Materials & Addi- SUBMARINE CABLE DESIGN tives & INSTALLATION SESSION • Connectivity Solutions for In addition to several fiber optic Data Center & Developing Applications

• Fiber Cable Design - Part 1 • Engineering Sustainability In Cable Systems

• Codes & Standards • Hollow and Multicore Fiber Cables

• Fiber Cable Design - Part 2 • Materials for Demanding Applications

cable sessions, readers of SubTel Forum may be particularly interested in the Submarine Cable Design & Installation session on the afternoon of Wednesday, November 4, which includes the following presentations.

• Development of Deep Water

Armor Type Submarine Cable; Yoshinao Kai, OCC Corporation

• Fiber Optic Underwater Cable Installation Using Remote Control; Svend Hopland, Hopland MarinInstal

MAGAZINE | September 2026

Donal Hanrahan of X3T delivers a keynote presentation after attendees enjoy lunch with colleagues at IWCS 2025

• A Probabilistic Multi-Domain

Framework for Quantifying Installation Schedule and Cost Risk in Submarine Cable Systems: A Case Study in Asia Pacific Region; Tanjil Ahmed, Summit Communications Ltd.

• Comparative

Study of Blending-Type and Copolymer-Type Water Tree Retardant XLPE Compounds for 66 kV Submarine Cables; Xiaoxue Shen, Zhejiang Wanma Macromolecule Material Group Co., Ltd., China

unforgettable experience blending the sophistication of a royal gala with the awe-inspiring artistry of a world-class circus. Attendees and their spouses/families are invited to enjoy an immersive atmosphere filled with dazzling performances, captivating entertainers, exquisite cuisine, and exceptional networking opportunities as we honor 75 years of IWCS innovation, collaboration, and leadership.

don’t want to miss the technical innovations and industry outlook presented during the Executive Session!

PLENARY LUNCHEON

An additional highlight of the

During the plenary session on Monday afternoon, you will hear welcome remarks from IWCS, experience an engaging keynote presentation, share lunch with colleagues, and celebrate recipients of awards for the outstanding technical paper, best presentation, and outstanding poster paper from last year’s Forum.

business objectives. Be sure to arrive by Monday morning—you

To supplement the Technical Symposium and support the ex-

EXECUTIVE SESSION

75TH ANNIVERSARY CELE- Technical Symposium is the ExSPECIAL SESSIONS HIGHBRATION - CIRQUE ROYALE! ecutive Session, which features economic trends and similar ex- LIGHT IMPORTANT TRENDS: Step into an evening of elegance, ecutive management topics of TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, excitement, and celebration as interest to help strategize your 2:00 – 6:00 PM IWCS commemorates its 75th Anniversary with Cirque Royale—an 44

SUBTEL FORUM | Issue 150

ISSUE 150 change of ideas on critical advancements, challenges, and opportunities throughout the industry, focused breakout sessions were recently introduced into the IWCS Forum program to promote high-level industry innovation and trend discussions. The 2026 IWCS Forum will be enhanced by two special trend sessions featuring influential industry and technology leaders, plus the exclusive opportunity for attendees to engage with the panelists and presenters. The detailed agenda for these special sessions is in progress at the time of this article development. Please check the IWCS website for additional details, panel participants, and presentation features.

DATA CENTER INNOVATION FOR AI Attendees will gain insight into the technical challenges, emerging standards, and innovative solutions required to build resilient, high-performance connectivity infrastructure capable of supporting the explosive growth of AI-driven applications. Whether designing, manufacturing, specifying, or deploying connectivity solutions, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the technologies and trends transforming the future of data center infrastructure.

more reliable, efficient, and resilient electrical infrastructure. Attendees will gain valuable insight into the technical, regulatory, and market forces shaping the future of power and communications infrastructure, along with the innovative solutions that will help bridge energy gaps and strengthen the resilient networks that power our connected world.

ENJOY THE BEAUTIFULLY RENOVATED GAYLORD PALMS RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER, PLUS MANY ATTRACTIONS IN ORLANDO The event venue and host hotel is the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, a beautiful venue which completed a $134-million renovation last year. The resort and convention center features amenities to make IWCS attendees comfortable for business networking and personal relaxation. Consider extending your stay and bringing your family to enjoy everything the resort and nearby Orlando attractions — including

Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld — have to offer. Beyond the theme parks, Orlando offers visitors a vibrant mix of championship golf, world-class dining, luxury spas, premier shopping, outdoor adventures, cultural attractions, and lively entertainment districts, providing memorable experiences for every interest.

DISCOUNTED REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME. Visit iwcs.org for the most up-todate event information and travel details.

SUSTAINABLE GRID INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESILIENT NETWORKS This session will examine the evolving landscape of grid and energy policy, the growing imbalance between energy supply and demand, and the critical role that cable and connectivity technologies play in building a An audience member poses a question to the panelists of the smart grid special session during the 2025 IWCS Forum.

MAGAZINE | September 2026

Join industry leaders at the premier event for new technologies in cable & connectivity materials, products, processes and applications.

TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM

SUPPLIER EXHIBITION™

SMART GRID & DATA CENTER PANEL DISCUSSIONS

EXECUTIVE SESSION

PLENARY LUNCHEON & KEYNOTE

DEVELOPMENT COURSES

November 1–4, 2026 Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center

Orlando, Florida, USA

Event details at iwcs.org

Since 1952, the IWCS Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum has been the world’s leading event for peer-reviewed papers and presentations that feature technologies and trends in cable and connectivity for the communications, data, electronics, power, industrial, automotive and aerospace industries.

submarine installation

hybrid cables

optical ﬁber

copper

hyperscale

installation smart grid

connectors

PoE

splicing

cable design cable jackets

energy applications

NETWORKING BREAKS

FTTx

twinax

sustainability

data centers

materials

assemblies

IoT

codes

standards

fault managed power

thermal bundle

submarine networks

CIRQUE ROYALE 75 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!

BEAUTIFUL RESORT IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA

FTTH

FROM REACTIVE TO PREVENTIVE: STRENGTHENING THE RESILIENCE OF CRITICAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE WITH DISTRIBUTED ACOUSTIC SENSING By Dr. Carlos Becerril

Critical energy infrastructure underpins modern society. As electrification accelerates and power networks expand farther offshore, deeper underwater, and across increasingly long distances, the reliability and security of these assets are becoming inseparable from economic stability and energy security. Offshore wind farms, submarine power cables, interconnectors, and remote terrestrial grid assets now form essential links between sources of generation and the communities, industries, and services that depend on them. Yet the expansion of these networks presents operators with a fundamental challenge: How can they know what is happening across hundreds of kilometers of infrastructure—and identify emerging threats before a minor event develops into a costly failure? Addressing that challenge requires more than periodic inspection. It requires continuous visibility, intelligent interpretation of data, and the ability to translate information into timely operation48

al decisions. Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) offers a promising approach to meeting this need. By transforming standard optical fibers into continuous arrays of vibration and dynamic-strain sensors, DAS can provide operators with spatially resolved information along long sections of critical infrastructure. Its potential extends from detecting external threats and monitoring cable integrity to supporting predictive maintenance, incident localization, and integration with wider digital asset-management systems. The objective is straightforward but ambitious: to help operators see more of their infrastructure, detect changes earlier, respond with greater confidence, and protect critical assets throughout their operational life.

THE GROWING NEED FOR CONTINUOUS INFRASTRUCTURE AWARENESS The energy transition is placing unprecedented demands on electrical infrastructure. Offshore wind generation continues to move into deeper waters and farther from shore, while submarine

SUBBTEL FORUM | Issue 150

interconnectors increasingly carry large quantities of electricity between regions and countries. At the same time, terrestrial transmission networks are expanding and becoming more interconnected. These developments make reliable power transmission increasingly dependent on geographically dispersed assets that may be difficult, expensive, or time-consuming to inspect. Submarine power cables illustrate this challenge particularly well. Once installed, cables can extend for tens or hundreds of kilometers beneath the ocean. Conventional inspection methods—including remotely operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, vessel surveys, and periodic electrical testing— provide valuable information, but generally offer only snapshots of cable condition. Mobilizing marine assets can also be expensive and may require substantial planning. The challenge is therefore shifting from simply inspecting infrastructure toward continuous situational awareness, from reactive maintenance toward predictive

ISSUE 150

Figure 1. If a section of the optical fibre is subjected to strain of temperature changes, the propagating light will experience an optical phase delay. Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) instrumentation analyzes the back-reflected signal and extracts the optical phase modulations induced along the optical fibre. The phase between two adjacent scattering regions is taken to be proportional to strain and temperature changes along the cable. The distance between the centers of the two scattering regions is known as the gauge length. Any measurand impacting the cable strain condition can, in principle, be recorded.

intervention, and from isolated measurements toward integrated operational intelligence.

system to effectively transform a long fiber into thousands of closely spaced sensing channels.

This is where distributed fiber-optic sensing can fundamentally change the monitoring paradigm.

Rather than relying on discrete electronic sensors installed at selected locations, a DAS interrogator positioned at one end of a fiber can monitor activity continuously along tens of kilometers of cable, with measurements typically available at meter-scale intervals.

TURNING OPTICAL FIBERS INTO CONTINUOUS SENSOR ARRAYS Many modern submarine power cables incorporate optical fibers for communications, control, and monitoring. Distributed optical sensing can use these fibers not simply as communication channels, but as sensing elements extending along substantial portions of the cable route. Among these technologies, Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) offers particularly compelling capabilities for cable protection and integrity monitoring. DAS interrogates a standard optical fiber using coherent laser light and analyzes changes in the Rayleigh backscatter naturally generated along the fiber (see Figure 1). Minute perturbations caused by vibration, dynamic strain or temperature alter the optical backscatter, allowing the

This creates something fundamentally different from conventional monitoring; the cable itself acts as the sensing element: A continuous sensing array extending along the infrastructure itself. For submarine power cables, this means that the cable can become both the asset being protected and, through its optical fibers, part of the mechanism used to protect it.

ing optical fibers already embedded within critical infrastructure into an extensive sensor array. This array can detect physical activity occurring in the vicinity of the cable and can therefore contribute to preventive protection. Fishing activity, anchoring, dredging, construction, seabed intervention, and other forms of external interaction represent important threats to submarine cables. These activities can generate characteristic acoustic and vibration signatures that propagate through the water column, seabed, and cable structure before direct physical contact occurs. DAS can detect and classify these signatures while simultaneously determining where the activity is taking place along the cable. This changes the operational model from:

DETECTING EXTERNAL failure → detection → repair THREATS BEFORE CABLE towards preventing the failure DAMAGE OCCURS A major advantage of DAS is that monitoring does not have to begin only after cable performance has deteriorated. This technology offers the possibility of transform-

from taking place:

threat detection → localization → intervention → prevention. For example, the acoustic signa-

MAGAZINE | September 2026

Figure 2. Most submarine cable faults are caused by fishing gear and anchors that snag the cable, causing cable cuts or shunt faults. Using DAS it is possible to measure seabed vibrations from objects moving on the seabed several kilometers from the cable, then track the movement in real-time for damage prevention and risk analysis. The processed detections are co-visualized in a GIS environment with AIS data for vessel identification and situation awareness.

ture associated with a vessel operating near a cable corridor can be detected and tracked. When combined with vessel-position information such as Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, analytics could determine whether the vessel's trajectory and activity constitute a credible risk to the cable. An alert could then be generated before contact occurs. Where appropriate procedures are in place, the vessel could be notified that it is approaching protected infrastructure, giving operators an opportunity to prevent damage rather than simply identify it afterward. As Marc Genot, Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), Energy Solutions Vice-President, explains, protecting long-lived cable assets requires the ability to "detect, localize, and understand events as they happen." This represents an important evolution from traditional condition monitoring toward active and preventive asset protection.

FROM THREAT DETECTION TO CABLE INTEGRITY MONITORING The potential contribution of DAS extends beyond external-threat 50

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detection. Continuous measurements can also provide information about changes occurring within the cable and its surrounding environment. Cable movement, vibration, freespan formation, seabed instability, sediment transport, scour, mechanical impacts, and other disturbances can generate measurable strain or acoustic signatures. Temporal changes in these signatures reveal evolution of the cable’s mechanical environment, offering actionable insight for preventative measures. In particular, they may indicate variations in burial depth over the system’s life, which can trigger targeted maintenance interventions, mitigating the needs for expensive rock dumping campaign in dynamic sedimentary environment. A cable section becoming progressively exposed because of seabed erosion, for example, may develop a different vibration response from one that remains well buried. A newly formed free span may respond more strongly to currents and hydrodynamic forcing. Similarly, changes in cable–seabed coupling may modify the way environmental and anthropogenic signals are transferred into the fiber. Monitoring

these changes creates the possibility of using DAS as part of a broader condition-based and predictive maintenance strategy. Instead of relying primarily on fixed inspection schedules, operators could use continuous sensing information to identify specific sections of a cable that warrant closer attention. A persistent change in vibration behavior at a particular location, for example, could trigger additional analysis or targeted inspection. DAS is particularly attractive because it can make use of optical fibers already incorporated into modern submarine power cables, potentially reducing the need for additional wet-plant sensing infrastructure. In suitable network configurations, DAS sensing can also coexist with optical communications traffic through wavelength-division multiplexing or other coexistence approaches, avoiding the need to dedicate an entire fiber exclusively to monitoring (see Figure 3).

COMPLEMENTING EXISTING MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES DAS should not necessarily be viewed as a replacement for established cable-monitoring or

ISSUE 150

Figure 3. If a dark (unutilized) fiber is not available in the submarine cable, DAS interrogation can be enabled by utilizing the L-frequency band. The L-band version of ILN’s OptoDAS is designed for coexistence with telecom traffic with no impact to the line capacity and Q-factor. The L-band OptoDAS, under co-existance with coherent data transmission channels, provides DAS data of the same quality and range as with interrogation on dark fibers.

inspection techniques. Its greatest value may come from complementing them by contributing something different: continuous, spatially resolved measurements of vibration and dynamic strain along the cable route. Electrical measurements, distributed temperature sensing, vessel tracking, weather conditions, and periodic physical surveys can all contribute complementary information. When these data streams are combined, operators can move toward a more complete representation of cable condition and risk. DAS provides an additional new layer of continuous sensing capability to existing or future cable systems with comparatively limited investment in additional subsea hardware. A vibration, strain or temperature anomaly detected by DAS, for example, may be significantly more informative when correlated with other information already available to the operator. Asset-management systems can place those DAS observations within the context of equipment condition and

maintenance history. SCADA and grid-control environments can make relevant information available for operators to gain a more robust representation of cable condition and risk. Rather than requiring operators to periodically resort to maritime expeditions to conduct ROV or AUV surveys for direct visual or bathymetric confirmation of seabed and cable conditions; the objective is for this multi-sensor approach to improve confidence in event classification: where an event occurred, what type of event it may represent, how significant it is, and whether intervention is required.

represents a threat. Offshore environments are naturally noisy. Waves, currents, marine life, ship traffic, seismic activity, and operational machinery may all contribute to measured signals along the cable. With sufficient observation time, a database of these normal patterns can be built to improve event classification algorithms and identify departures from them and the situations requiring operator attention. In this sense, every monitored event can contribute to improving future protection. This allows the question to evolve from "Has the cable failed?" to "Is the behavior of this section of cable beginning to change?"

BUILDING A DIGITAL BASELINE FOR PREDICTIVE MAIN- Such changes may be subtle. A cable section experiencing proTENANCE Continuous monitoring also creates an opportunity that periodic inspection cannot easily provide: the ability to establish a long-term baseline of normal cable behavior. Not every detected vibration

gressive exposure due to seabed erosion may develop a different vibration response. A developing free span may respond differently to ocean currents. Changes in mechanical coupling between the cable and seabed may alter its acoustic response. Repeated

MAGAZINE | September 2026

Figure 4. Optical repeaters are essential for the reliable transmission of data across oceans. ASN has spearheaded their design and have the know-how to adapt the technology to extend DAS surveillance across large distances. In lab testing, this approach has been proven for up to 2200 km lines.

vessel activity near a particular location may reveal an evolving external risk. Detecting such trends does not necessarily mean that failure is imminent. Rather, it provides operators additional evidence for deciding where and when to inspect. This can support a transition from time-based maintenance toward risk- to condition-based maintenance, where resources can be prioritized earlier toward the locations showing developing problems and potentially longer asset life.

IMPROVING LOCALIZATION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE When cable incidents do occur, accurate localization becomes critical. A conventional electrical alarm may indicate that a cable has developed a fault without immediately identifying the physical event responsible for it, and with an uncertainty regarding fault positioning of roughly 1% of the total length of cable. DAS can provide real-time, spatially resolved observations along the cable and may help determine the location of impacts, disturbances, or other mechanical events. This capability can substantially improve incident response. Rather than initiating a broad 52

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search along a long cable route, operators can focus inspection and repair resources on a much more constrained area. Depending on system configuration, fiber characteristics, gauge length, channel spacing, signal-to-noise ratio, and event type, DAS can provide meter-scale spatial localization of disturbances.

for decades now. As an industry leader in such optical submarine systems, Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) has the expertise to adapt such optical technologies, to allow DAS monitoring over 250 km for unrepeated systems and over thousands of kilometers for repeated systems as pictured in Figure 4 below.

Historical DAS measurements surrounding the event may also reveal what occurred immediately before a failure, helping distinguish between possible causes such as external impact, progressive mechanical instability, seabed movement, or nearby marine activity. This information has value beyond individual repairs.

Such developments could significantly broaden the role of distributed sensing, enabling monitoring not only of near-shore export cables and regional interconnectors, but potentially much longer submarine corridors.

EXTENDING RANGE

MONITORING

Most conventional DAS instruments are associated with sensing ranges of up to one-hundred kilometers. This is particularly relevant for subsea infrastructure, where transmission and telecommunications links can span hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. Submarine optical communication systems use Raman pumps, Remote optically pumped amplification and optical repeaters to reliably transmit data across oceans, connecting continents

For offshore wind, for example, the export and inter-array cable network represents an essential part of the generation system. Monitoring these links could provide operators with greater visibility between offshore generation assets and the onshore grid. On land, fiber infrastructure running alongside transmission corridors can similarly provide information about construction activity, mechanical disturbances, and environmental events. The broader opportunity is therefore to integrate distributed sensing into the monitoring architecture of the power system rather than treating it as a stand-alone instrument.

ISSUE 150 Long-range sensing also raises the possibility of combining infrastructure protection with environmental and geophysical monitoring, using the same fiber infrastructure to observe vessel activity, earthquakes, ocean-generated signals, and other phenomena over extensive areas.

corridors can similarly provide information about construction activity, mechanical disturbances, traffic, excavation, and environmental events. The broader opportunity is therefore to integrate distributed sensing into the monitoring architecture of energy systems rather than treating it solely as a standalone instrument.

APPLICATIONS ACROSS OFFSHORE ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE TOWARD MORE INTELLIAs a DAS interrogator provides GENT AND PREVENTIVE CAvisibility along optical fiber, the BLE PROTECTION potential application of DAS extends well beyond a single type of submarine cable.

For offshore wind, export cables and inter-array cables form critical components of the generation system. Failures can result in costly outages and may require specialized vessels and lengthy repair campaigns. Continuous monitoring could provide operators with greater visibility into the condition of these links and the activity occurring around them. Submarine interconnectors present similar challenges. As countries increasingly rely on cross-border electricity exchange, long subsea power links are becoming strategically important infrastructure. Early detection of mechanical disturbances or external activity near these assets could contribute directly to energy security. DAS may also be valuable for offshore substations, floating wind systems, subsea hubs, oil and gas infrastructure, carbon-capture and storage networks, and other offshore energy assets where optical fiber is already present or can be incorporated. On land, fiber infrastructure running alongside transmission

Governments and regulators are increasingly emphasizing the resilience of critical energy infrastructure. European and UK policy frameworks, among others, recognize that energy security depends not only on building sufficient infrastructure but also on protecting it from physical, environmental, and operational threats. This requires operators to monitor, detect, and protect critical assets in real time. Responsibility does not end when an infrastructure project is commissioned; resilience must be maintained throughout the asset's operational life. With increasingly interconnected, the consequences of cable failures can extend well beyond the damaged asset itself. This is precisely where the combination of distributed sensing and integrated digital systems becomes powerful.

longer largely invisible between scheduled inspections. Instead, submarine and terrestrial energy networks could continuously report on their condition and surroundings, allowing operators to recognize threats sooner, understand changes more clearly, and intervene before emerging problems become failures. The ultimate objective is not simply to collect more data. It is to transition—from sensing to understanding, and from understanding to prevention—could become an increasingly important foundation of long-term resilience.

Dr. Carlos Becerril holds a Masters degree in Optical Sciences and a double PhD in Electrical Engineering and in Earth Sciences. He has held technical and leadership roles in both industry and academia, has more than 10 years of experience ranging in various industries, from power generation, semiconductor device manufacturing, oceanography and seismology. His position at Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) is focused on distributed sensing technologies and submarine cable monitoring.

Improving visibility therefore has implications for system availability, maintenance costs, energy security, and the resilience of the wider grid. DAS instrumentation offers a pathway towards a new generation of monitoring systems in which critical infrastructure expected to operate reliably for decades in some of the world's most inaccessible environments, is no MAGAZINE | September 2026

THE MIDDLE POWER PROBLEM: A PHYSICAL LINK FOR SCALING PACIFIC BANDWIDTH AND AI DATA CENTERS By Nathaniel Harmon

The Pacific has a power problem that presents as a bandwidth problem.

are very few things to plug into in the middle of the largest, and most important, ocean on the planet.

Every tool for growing transoceanic capacity spends electrical power and the Pacific is where that power runs out before the route does. The constraint is not fiber, repeaters, or suppliers. Instead, the constraint is that there

In his June 2026 article, “Connecting the AI Revolution: LongHaul Networks and Bandwidth Growth”, TeleGeography’s Alan Mauldin forecasts transoceanic bandwidth demand growing

at a 24% compound annual rate through 2035. In 2025, hyperscalers, cloud providers, AI platform companies, and neoclouds accounted for roughly 80% of the trans-Atlantic, trans-Pacific, and intra-Asian route demand. With their bandwidth forecast to increase nine-fold by 2035, they are increasingly opting not to scale on carrier wholesale ca-

Figure 1: Undersea Telecommunication Cable System, “Protection of Undersea Telecommunication Cables: Issues for Congress.” Congress.gov, Library of Congress, https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R47648. 54

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ISSUE 150 age falls progressively along the powered segment length until the two feeds meet at a virtual ground near the electrical midpoint. Every kilometer of conductor, every repeater, and every added fiber pair draws on the same fixed supply. The number of pairs a cable can carry is therefore set by the power system, not the fiber. The physical bound on the maximum number of fiber pairs is described in Srinivas et al. (2021)1, building on the work of J.D. Downie (2018)2. Srinivas illustrates that supportable fiber pair count scales with the square of power feed Figure 2: Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Rankine Cycle depiction voltage. In response to pacity. They are the owners now, (SDM). Put more fiber pairs per the underlying physics, and the companies buying the cable, and, in time, multi-core fi- the industry has pushed feed voltcompute have become the com- ber. The rationale follows directly age from 15 kV toward 18 kV, with panies building the cable that from physics. Capacity grows log- 20 kV designs in qualification. carries it. arithmically with signal-to-noise Simultaneously, the introduction ratio (SNR), but linearly with the of pump farming schemes, now The article points out that while number of parallel fibers. Divide standard on long SDM systems, demand growth is coming from the same power across more fi- has reduced average pump powboth traditional applications and bers, run each at lower SNR, and er per fiber pair. the new AI segment, it is AI that total cable capacity rises. stands to change not only the The results are real: 15 to 18 kV volume of the traffic but its shape. What is less often discussed, produces a roughly 1.45x gain, Power constraints on AI compute however, is how the same physics while 15 to 20 kV will be roughare already pushing hyperscal- that guides the capacity growth ly 1.8x. Cable insulation and weters to shift workloads between pathway penalizes the Pacific plant components are qualified to data centers to chase available on that growth while putting the a rated voltage, so each voltage power. Mauldin concludes that load-balancing mesh network increment is a hard-won improvethe solution is twofold: (1) expand solution out of reach. ment involving a multi-year qualithe traditional transoceanic corriTHE CEILING IN THE MIDDLE fication campaign. But the ceiling dors, and (2) build an internationon feed voltage is a materials al “high-capacity mesh network On every repeatered system, problem, a battle against dielecacting as a global load balancer.” power is supplied from its ends. tric breakdown. Shore-based power feed equipThe industry’s solution to transment drives a current through On a 5,000 to 6,000 km Atlanoceanic capacity growth is clear, the cable’s copper conductor tic route the arithmetic is comSpace-Division Multiplexing (Figure 1). The power feed volt- fortable. On a 10,000 to 12,000 MAGAZINE | September 2026

km Pacific route, it is not. The reason is that repeater count grows linearly with powered segment length, so length counts twice. So, while fiber pair count scales with the square of power feed voltage, it also falls with the square of powered segment length. On paper, the capacity difference between a trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific cable is roughly a factor of four. Despite the outsized gains for reducing segment length, feed points are set by where the grid reaches the coast, and that has been a geographic constant rather than an engineering choice. With the enormous lengths of trans-Pacific cable systems to-

THE SQUEEZE AT THE EDGE

GENERATION AT SEA

Every additional system requires at least two landings. Each landing station requires grid capacity sufficient for the power feed equipment and terminal gear, a beachfront parcel with a viable shore-end route, and the consent of whoever lives nearby. All of which are becoming more complex and difficult to secure. Permitting is the most visible symptom, with timelines now routinely measured in years rather than months.

If the networks are beginning to follow energy, and the Pacific is electrically constrained from both the capacity growth path and the network topology solution, the question becomes how to make energy follow the networks instead. The answer is to put generation capacity on the ocean.

In the Pacific, demand for landings exceeds the number of sites with adequate infrastructure, and the result is concentration. Traffic

Figure 3: OceanBit Class I Plantship

day, that geographic constant requires the industry to install more systems just to carry the same traffic. But that strategy comes at a price, and the pressure from the Pacific’s power constraint does not disappear when the industry builds around it. It relocates, and lands on the beach. 56

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principally funnels through hubs in Guam, Hawaii, and Fiji. The infrastructure requirements of hosting a cable hub are such that the nations that would benefit most, small island nations, are the ones least equipped to host one. In many cases the limiting factor is power.

The wider industry is reaching the same conclusion. Microsoft ran the submerged Project Natick. China has deployed a wind-powered underwater data center off Shanghai. Japan has demonstrated a floating data center at Yokohama. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Seatrium are both developing floating data centers. Panthalassa is building wave-powered compute nodes. And several groups are proposing offshore nuclear. With the exception of nuclear fission, which carries its own technical and regulatory barriers, these approaches inherit the grid constraint rather than escape it. They either draw shore power from the same limited grids or rely on intermittent renewables. Offshore wind, floating wind, and wave power all need battery storage to approach 24/7 availability and still remain outage prone. They are also confined to the coast, limited by geography and season, and dependent on shore-based infrastructure for operations, maintenance, and repair. That makes them a poor match to a 25-year cable duty and a worse match to a data center load. There is now a viable and effi-

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cient option.

OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY Ocean Thermal, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), or Ocean Geothermal, is the only baseload renewable generation available on the ocean. Like terrestrial geothermal, an Ocean Thermal plant runs a Rankine cycle heat engine on a naturally occurring stable temperature difference (Figure 2). But, instead of drilling to access heat, Ocean Thermal uses the temperature difference between warm tropical surface water and deep cold water. Ocean Thermal uses the same components as any other Rankine cycle plant, including geothermal, nuclear, solar thermal, and waste-heat recovery. It uses the same mature 30-year lifetime platforms, risers, and moorings that keep offshore oil and gas assets on station through storms. The seawater intake and circulation systems are already in service across the offshore energy, shipping, and other deep-water industries. And, it is supported by more than a dozen land-based and floating pilot plants, with two megawatt-scale floating demonstrations. Developers include Toshiba, Lockheed Martin, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, the U.S. Department of Energy, India’s National Institute of Ocean Technology, the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering, the Japanese Institute of Ocean Energy, Global OTEC, OTE Corporation, and my company, OceanBit. So, while the industry is still maturing, the technology is not speculative.

WHAT IT CHANGES An Ocean Thermal plant moored offshore functions as an artificial 58

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island. It carries the landing’s power feed, grounding, and terminal functions without the shoreside footprint. An offshore node can terminate multiple submarine cables and consolidate their traffic into a single shore crossing. For industry, the result is a reduction in permitting surface area, beach and nearshore excavation, real estate acquisition, coastal disturbance, and schedule. It also lowers the bar for hosting a hub, which opens route diversification to islands that cannot support a conventional landing station. For island nations, the same architecture inverts the connectivity problem. If the power-intensive elements of the landing station sit offshore on a self-powered platform, what reaches the island is a short, unpowered spur. The landing station footprint shrinks. And more importantly, the platform can simultaneously export baseload power to the community it serves. For a Pacific state running on imported diesel, cheaper power and greater energy independence, without large land-use changes or expensive grid upgrades, may matter more than the connectivity. One asset relieves the infrastructure constraint that made the landing difficult, provides the connectivity the landing was for, and creates routes that did not exist before. A Pacific island-based platform hosting not just the optical terminal, but also power feed equipment, reduces powered segment length. This makes the island a segment boundary, untethering feed points from the continental margins. Feed a >10,000 km system at one or two intermediate points, and each powered

segment would be three to five thousand kilometers. This is the regime in which the industry already deploys its highest-density designs, and the regime in which the published models predict pair counts several times higher2. So now it is true that power infrastructure can unlock bandwidth. The tradeoff for the increase in capacity is latency. The economics of Ocean Thermal fall off steeply outside of the tropics, so a platform cannot sit on the Tokyo to US West Coast great circle, and a tropical routing adds between ten and twenty milliseconds one way. But it is the powered segment length that sets pair count, not the route length. Route length stops being the quantity to minimize for capacity, and latency becomes what trades against it.

GENERATION IN SEARCH OF LOAD One asymmetry that remains stems from the fact that the wet plant of the largest cable system draws power measured in tens of kilowatts, not megawatts. The first generation of commercial-scale Ocean Thermal plants currently in development are designed in the megawatts to tens of megawatts range, with ~100 MW plants proposed. At the larger hubs, Hawaii, Fiji, and Guam, surplus power can be exported to the grid to displace hydrocarbon generation. But, for most Pacific islands, even 5 to 10 MW would be oversupply. And the 25 to 35 MW (seawater temperature dependent) standardized design that OceanBit is developing is far past what those grids can absorb. Cable power is, energetically, a rounding error. No credit facility

ISSUE 150 will finance a floating power plant to serve a single cable, or even ten. Nor will a lender finance one against a grid that cannot sign a long-term PPA for the full output. High country risk premiums across the region compound the problem. What Ocean Thermal needs is a co-locatable load large enough to absorb whatever the island grid and cable landing infrastructure cannot. In doing so, plant sizing is decoupled from local demand, which enables design standardization and lowers costs, and the load underwrites the plant. The answer is to vertically integrate an Ocean Thermal platform with a High-Density Computing (HDC) data center (Figure 3). That idea became the foundational IP for OceanBit, Self-Contained High-Energy-Density Computing Systems, And Methods of Use. At the inception of that idea HDC was a niche category made up of Bitcoin miners and supercomputers running academic workloads too specialized to support an industry. Almost a decade later, HDC’s largest application is Artificial Intelligence, and HDC is the load everyone is racing to power. What was once too specialized is now what makes the plant financeable. Compute is offtake that does not require a host-country PPA, does not depend on a small grid’s creditworthiness, and can be contracted with an investment-grade counterparty regardless of where the platform floats.

THE PHYSICAL LINK Return to Mauldin’s two observations. Hyperscalers shift workloads between data centers because compute is chasing available power across the net-

work. And those same hyperscalers are increasingly not buying network capacity but building it.

Barney, and Robert Pepper for your technical and editorial assistance.

A platform that carries its own generation and collocated data center load ends the chase. The Pacific holds terawatts of Ocean Thermal resource, as do the tropical Atlantic and Indian oceans. Deploy an array of interconnected platforms fitted with reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers, and what emerges is not a set of longer point-to-point cables with fewer pairs each. It is the high-capacity disruption-resilient mesh Mauldin describes, with the ocean itself acting as a global load balancer.

REFERENCES

Consider the hyperscaler we started with, now procuring three things across three constrained markets: compute capacity, contracted power to run that compute, and the trans-Pacific cable connecting it to the network. An Ocean Thermal platform consolidates all three into one asset, simultaneously addressing AI data center resource constraints, Pacific bandwidth bottlenecks, network resilience, and the island energy transition. A mid-span feed interface and segment architecture will require the same suppliers, the same qualification regimes, and the same marine capability every system before it has needed. So, while the Ocean Thermal industry is building and scaling the power side, and the hyperscalers are positioned to capture the full value of the infrastructure, none of it gets built without the submarine cable industry.

[1] H. Srinivas, J. D. Downie, J. Hurley, X. Liang, J. Himmelreich, J. Krause Perin, D. A. A. Mello and J. M. Kahn, “Modeling and experimental measurement of power efficiency for power-limited SDM submarine transmission systems,” Journal of Lightwave Technology, vol. 39, no. 8, pp. 2376–2386, Apr. 2021. [2] J. D. Downie, “Maximum Capacities in Submarine Cables With Fixed Power Constraints for C-Band, C+L-Band, and Multicore Fiber Systems,” in Journal of Lightwave Technology, vol. 36, no. 18, pp. 40254032, 15 Sept, 2018, doi: 10.1109/JLT.2018.2858194.

Nathaniel Harmon is co-founder and CEO of OceanBit, Project Team Leader for the IEC TC 114 PT 62600-22 technical standard for Ocean Thermal Plant Resource Assessments, and is the US Subject Matter Expert nominee for IEC TC 114 MT 62600-20 Ocean Thermal Plant Design Guidance. OceanBit recently received first prize in the PTC’26 Pitch Competition and won the 2026 Stanford University Graduate School of Business Impact Fund.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Mahalo nui loa to Laurie Doyle, Paul McCann, John Hibbard, Bill MAGAZINE | September 2026

BEYOND THE FIREWALL: WHY OIL & GAS NEEDS PREEMPTIVE CYBERSECURITY NOW By Greg Berlocher

INTRODUCTION

Long defined by heavy machinery and brute force, the modern oil and gas industry is a high-tech powerhouse driven by artificial intelligence, autonomous robotics, subsea fiber-optic networks, and real-time predictive analytics. Fueled by productivity gains from digital twins, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced enterprise applications, the industry is experiencing hyperconnectivity— expanding the digital attack surface exponentially. Today, a cyberattack is no longer just a data breach; it is a direct safety and environmental threat. Traditional reactive cybersecurity is no longer enough. The industry must pivot to preemptive cybersecurity—a proactive approach that neutralizes threats before they ever materialize.

THE ROAD TO HYPERCONNECTIVITY Several decades ago, the oil and 60

gas industry experienced a dramatic uptick in connectivity with the widespread adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, such as SAP and PeopleSoft. High-speed data circuits were extended to remote facilities, offshore platforms, and maritime vessels. As the internet became an essential business tool, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) ushered in additional data connectivity, with the public internet doing the heavy lifting instead of dedicated data circuits. Simultaneously, the industry benefited from insatiable consumer demand for smartphones, which catalyzed continuous improvements in component miniaturization and energy efficiency. Manufactured by the tens of millions, these electronic parts became powerful, affordable building blocks ideal for disruptive industrial technologies. These new devices and applications further amplified the demand for network connections. Today, digital twin technology, artificial intelligence, and the heavy-duty data centers required to power them are fueling the next wave of connectivity demand.

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While oil companies enjoy near-limitless bandwidth and the ability to extend a network connection to practically any spot on the globe, hyperconnectivity is a double-edged sword. The vast expansion of global data networks has left systems acutely vulnerable. The nature of cyber threats has also transformed radically. The landscape has evolved from mischievous, isolated hobbyists breaking into simple systems into sophisticated, state-spon-

ISSUE 150 of an event when the adversary’s playbook is constantly reinvented in real time.

sored cyberwarfare operations. Nation-states now deploy advanced malware—such as Volt Typhoon and Pipe Dream—to cripple critical infrastructure, sabotage industrial systems, and wage geopolitical conflict.

RISK VERSUS UNCERTAINTY: NAVIGATING KNIGHTIAN REALITIES IN CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE To fully understand why traditional cybersecurity models fail in modern industrial environments, decision-makers must distinguish between two fundamentally different categories of operational exposure: risk and uncertainty (often framed through the lens of Knightian uncertainty). In decision theory and economics, risk exists when future outcomes are unknown, but the underlying probability distributions can be mathematically quantified based on historical actuarial data, past breach logs, and known vulnerability catalogs like CISA’s Known

Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) database. Reactive cybersecurity—detecting intrusions, running signature scans, and patching known exploits—is built entirely to manage quantifiable risk. Uncertainty, by contrast, represents an entirely different epistemological state. As economist Frank Knight defined it, true uncertainty arises when the future probability distribution is fundamentally unknowable because the operating environment is novel, complex, and subject to unprecedented adversarial adaptation. Modern oil and gas Operational Technology (OT) networks operate deep within the realm of Knightian uncertainty. When state-sponsored actors deploy zero-day exploits, novel polymorphic malware, or AI-driven attack vectors that have no historical precedent, historical actuarial tables and past incident metrics become completely obsolete. You cannot calculate the probability

Traditional cybersecurity frameworks attempt to manage uncertainty by turning it into managed risk through predictive threat intelligence and continuous monitoring. However, in critical infrastructure, treating profound uncertainty as mere statistical risk is a dangerous gamble. Waiting for an anomaly to manifest in order to measure its frequency or impact means waiting for a catastrophic safety incident or environmental spill to occur. Preemptive cybersecurity acknowledges the limits of risk mitigation under uncertainty. By enforcing hardware-based cryptographic trust, dark networks, and immutable silicon boundaries, preemptive cybersecurity neutralizes unknown attack vectors unconditionally. It removes the need to predict how or when an adversary will strike, rendering the underlying uncertainty irrelevant because unauthorized lateral movement and exploit delivery are blocked by physical law rather than software prediction.

PREEMPTIVE CYBERSECURITY: A NEW PARADIGM Cybersecurity is a multi-faceted challenge. The current status quo relies on reactive cybersecurity, which detects breaches after they occur and attempts to mitigate the damage—the traditional "lock the door after the break-in" approach. Preemptive cybersecurity is a new paradigm that disrupts vulnerabilities and attack vectors before an exploit can even be attempted.

CORE PILLARS OF PREEMPTIVE DEFENSE

MAGAZINE | September 2026

Hardware-Based Architecture: Preemptive solutions must be hardware-based. If a cybersecurity product includes a software Bill of Materials (BOM), it can be hacked. The oil and gas industry has relied on hardware-based safety systems for decades because they are fast, reliable, and 100% tested against every eventuality. Software companies utilize large libraries of code to develop new products quickly, but these libraries can never be fully tested against all eventualities. Zero-Trust Foundation: A true zero-trust architecture cannot be software-based, as software is inherently manipulable. An excellent example of true zero trust is found in hardware-based network protectors (such as those by Blueskytec), which embed a Known Answer Test (KAT) at the silicon level within anti-tamper hardware modules. A network protector will only communicate with a peer device after successfully exchanging an encrypted KAT, creating immutable trust. Hardware cryptography has been trusted by the U.S. government for three decades to protect clas62

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sified information without a single security breach.

inating traditional key management vulnerabilities.

Reduced Attack Surface (Dark Networks): Blueskytec’s network protectors create a hardware-enforced dark network, preventing any downstream device from being discovered via a simple network ping. Bad actors cannot attack what they cannot see.

Microchannel Routing: Once encrypted, data packets are routed down one of 16 distinct Key Spaces (microchannels) to the destination appliance, where they are decrypted.

Embedded Rules Engine: Acting as an advanced alternative to traditional firewalls, a hardware-based rules engine does not run software that can be hacked, eliminating weekly patch updates and software maintenance fees. It also provides advanced features such as data diode functionality, obfuscation, padding, and indexing. Peer-to-Peer Communication & Quantum Keys: Security appliances communicate peer-to-peer using encrypted KATs for trust. Every data packet is encrypted with a quantum-generated One-Time Pass key that is used once and immediately destroyed. Approximately ten trillion one-time keys are pre-deployed in Blueskytec’s security appliances, thereby elim-

Physical Asset Protection in Remote OT Environments: Hydrocarbon production frequently occurs in remote, hostile environments characterized by unmanned sites—from automated block valves to gas plants and offshore platforms. Without human deterrence, bad actors can physically break locks, steal equipment to reverse-engineer it, tamper with PLCs, or connect rogue computers directly to the network. Every remote network connection requires rigorous physical network security. Government-Grade Anti-Tamper Hardware: To defend remote assets, hardware must feature anti-tamper protections. If an unauthorized actor steals an appliance and attempts to reverse-engineer it, an integrated zeroization mechanism instant-

ISSUE 150 eventually merging into corporate IT departments—while SCADA and OT groups remained separate, enjoying security through obscurity. 2000s–Present: Network convergence brought voice, data, and video applications together over the Internet Protocol (IP). As OT systems began riding on corporate IP backbones, security through obscurity evaporated.

AMPLIFIED RISKS OF MODERN OT INTEGRATION Safety Risks: Potential loss of life from manipulated industrial equipment. Environmental Risks: Catastrophic spills and ecological disasters triggered by cyber sabotage. Economic & Geopolitical Risks: Destruction of industrial assets, supply chain disruption, ransomware extortion, and national security threats.

THE LEGACY VULNERABILITY: MODBUS

ly scrubs everything data down to the silicon level, including the customer’s OT data. Attempts to penetrate the OT network from a remote location, like connecting or disconnecting an unauthorized cable will immediately trigger an antitamper alarm that is sent to the Security Operations Center (SOC) via Blueskytec’s Command & Control infrastructure.

cantly over the decades: 1970s–1980s: SCADA networks relied on mini-computers (such as the DEC 11750) and multidrop analog circuits connecting Remote Terminal Units (RTUs). Many pipelines and electric utilities operated private microwave backbones because telecom providers couldn't reach remote locations. IT and OT networks operated completely separately.

WHY PREEMPTIVE CYBERSECURITY IS CRITICAL FOR 1980s–1990s: The AT&T breakup, OIL & GAS the introduction of Cisco routers Operational Technology (OT) architectures have evolved signifi-

(like the AGS), and digital data circuits led to the formation of internal communication departments,

Many oil and gas companies still rely heavily on legacy OT systems. The Modbus protocol remains a favorite because it is simple, reliable, and universally supported by hardware vendors. However, when Modbus was written, no one imagined malicious actors intentionally targeting pipelines. Modbus lacks authenticated control capabilities; PLCs running Modbus will blindly obey any command they receive, leaving legacy OT systems dangerously exploitable. Since Blueskytec’s security appliances must correctly answer an encrypted known answer test before data will pass from end to end, making it quick, easy, and straight forward to add

MAGAZINE | September 2026

authentication to any SCADA system that utilizes Modbus, or any other legacy protocol. In addition, Blueskytec’s security devices will operate on both analog and IP networks, allowing companies to deploy a ubiquitous preemptive cybersecurity solution that will protect a company’s entire OT network.

IMPLEMENTING PREEMPTIVE STRATEGIES IN THE AI ERA 64

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Software companies must rush products to market quickly and affordably, relying on reused code libraries that are never 100% tested—and are sometimes compromised by malicious code uploads. In August 2026 alone, Microsoft issued patches for over 400 known vulnerabilities. Worse yet, bad actors leverage artificial intelligence to stitch together known exploited vulnerabilities (cataloged by agencies like CISA) into sophisticated auto-

mated attacks within hours or days. Because software vendors take weeks or months to develop, distribute, and apply patches, reactive defenders are perpetually lagging behind. Published in August 2026, IBM’s 2026 Cost of Data Breach Report informs that one in four cyber attacks were AI-enabled, costing on average $6 Million each. The report conveys details about the attacks explaining that the majority were deepfake imperson-

ISSUE 150 ation and AI-enabled malware. Of note, IBM stated that the attacks are reshaping breach economics. Attacks are getting faster and cheaper to launch, while breaches keep getting more expensive to find and fix. This growing imbalance—where attacks can be launched for thousands while breaches cost millions—is fundamentally changing the economics of cyber risk. By contrast, hardware-based preemptive cybersecurity is immune to AI and quantum threats. Silicon cannot be hacked or altered on the fly, offering the same uncompromising reliability as industrial safety systems (such as high precision gas monitors).

SUMMARY OF ADVANCED FEATURES IN PREEMPTIVE PLATFORMS (E.G., BLUESKYTEC) • Zero Trust Architecture • Dark Network Protection • Embedded Rules Engine • Perfect Secrecy of Data & Key Space Technology

• Data Diodes and Obfuscation

• Physical Asset Protection & Anti-Tamper Design

• Prevention

of Lateral Malware Movement (proven against Pipe Dream and Volt Typhoon in government test labs)

• Mitigation of Man-in-theMiddle, Brute-Force, Replay, Birthday, and Timing Attacks

• Elimination

of Software-Based Vulnerabilities & Reduction of Compliance Risk

• Resilience Against AI and proves active risk mitigation, Quantum Threats

opening the door to significantly reduced premiums and broader coverage limits.

THE BOARDROOM IMPERATIVE: FIDUCIARY DUTY AND The question for oil and gas exRISK MANAGEMENT As digital transformation blurs the lines between enterprise IT and OT, the stakes for oil and gas leadership have never been higher. Preemptive cybersecurity shifts the paradigm from endless incident response to absolute operational sovereignty. If a technology exists today that can stop OT cyberattacks before they ever start, how do corporate boards justify not utilizing it to safeguard their companies, critical assets, and license to operate? Furthermore, in a tightening insurance market where premiums continue to surge, why leave a proven risk-reduction mechanism on the table? The Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Weight: SOX holds executives personally accountable for internal controls and financial reporting accuracy. A catastrophic OT cyberattack causes massive financial misstatements, regulatory fines, and reputational damage. Failing to adopt available, stateof-the-art preventative controls increasingly looks like a failure of fiduciary duty. Shareholder Expectations: Institutional investors place unprecedented scrutiny on operational resilience and ESG risks. A proactive stance demonstrates that management is aggressively shielding physical infrastructure from downtime and environmental incidents. The Insurance Imperative: Underwriters are tightening requirements for the energy sector. Deploying preventative architecture

ecutives is no longer if an attack will be attempted, but whether your defenses are built to stop it before it starts. Deploying this protection is exceptionally straightforward: hardware-based preemptive cybersecurity appliances are remarkably quick to install, allowing companies to deploy a secure network-wide architecture in months, not years. Engineered for longevity, the equipment boasts a robust 10 to 15- year useful lifecycle with zero ongoing software patching or maintenance fees, delivering an exceptionally fast return on investment (ROI) The dramatic reductions in cyber insurance premiums secured by deploying a hardened, preventive cybersecurity solution that prevents cyber-attacks can easily pay for the cost of upgrading an entire network. Preemptive cybersecurity is the ultimate safeguard for the future of energy.

Greg Berlocher is a 45-year veteran of the Industrial Automation Market and has worked extensively with oil & gas companies, electric utilities, and water systems, helping them to improve their SCADA and IoT networks. Mr. Berlocher is the CEO of New Star Energy Services, which is a supplier of technologies to the SCADA and IoT Markets. Mr. Berlocher is also an award-winning writer and author, with 1.5 million words in print.

MAGAZINE | September 2026

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THE SOUTH ATLANTIC DIGITAL CORRIDOR: A VISION FOR DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY, OPEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND BI-OCEANIC CONNECTIVITY IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE By Dr. Javier Valdez

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

drives development.

Infrastructure has always shaped civilizations.

In the twenty-first century, digital infrastructure has become equally important.

Throughout history, nations have invested in roads, ports, railways, airports and energy networks because they understood a fundamental principle: connectivity

Submarine optical cable systems now carry more than 95% of global international communications, forming the invisible foundation of modern economies, cloud

SUBBTEL FORUM | Issue 150

computing, artificial intelligence, scientific collaboration and international trade. South America has made significant progress in submarine connectivity over the last three decades. New international systems have connected the continent to North America, Europe and other

ISSUE 150

regions, enabling unprecedented digital growth. Yet one strategic opportunity remains largely unexplored. The creation of a continuous digital corridor along the South Atlantic coast capable of strengthening national resilience, enhancing digital sovereignty, supporting future cloud and AI infrastructure, and ultimately creating a bi-oceanic digital bridge between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This vision is what we call the South Atlantic Digital Corridor.

INFRASTRUCTURE SHAPES CIVILIZATIONS Civilizations are remembered by the infrastructure they built. The Roman Empire built roads. The industrial age built railways. The twentieth century built air-

ports and highways.

beneath the oceans.

The digital era is building optical infrastructure.

SOUTH AMERICA’S DIGITAL CHALLENGE

Today, submarine cable systems are as important to national development as roads, ports and power grids.

Latin America has experienced remarkable growth in submarine connectivity.

Without them, cloud services stop. Financial transactions fail. Scientific collaboration slows.

New systems such as Malbec, Firmina, Tannat, Curie and others have transformed international communications across the region. Now, most systems were designed with a common objective:

Digital economies suffer. In many respects, submarine cables have become the most critical infrastructure of the modern world. Yet despite their importance, they remain largely invisible to the public. The future of nations increasingly depends on infrastructure hidden

Connecting continents. Few were designed to create longitudinal digital corridors capable of connecting entire coastlines. This distinction is critical. As artificial intelligence, cloud computing and hyperscale data centers continue to expand, countries will increasingly require

MAGAZINE | September 2026

resilient national infrastructure capable of supporting future digital demands.

ern connectivity remains dependent upon terrestrial infrastructure.

The next strategic challenge may no longer be international connectivity alone.

While terrestrial networks will continue to play a fundamental role, increasing traffic volumes and growing demands for resilience suggest that additional infrastructure diversity will become increasingly valuable.

It may be the development of national and regional digital corridors.

WHY THE SOUTH ATLANTIC COAST MATTERS Argentina possesses one of the longest coastlines in South America. Stretching thousands of kilometers from Buenos Aires Province to Tierra del Fuego, this coastline hosts strategic economic, scientific, industrial and energy assets. Ports. Universities. Research centers. Oil and gas developments. Tourism. technology

ecosys-

Yet much of the country’s south70

SUBTEL FORUM | Issue 150

• Edge Computing • Data Centers • Scientific Research • Smart Ports • Energy Infrastructure • Defense Communications • Antarctic Programs The next generation of submarine infrastructure must therefore be conceived not simply as telecommunications projects but as national digital platforms.

THE SOUTH ATLANTIC DIGIFROM INTERNATIONAL TAL CORRIDOR CONNECTIVITY TO NATION- The South Atlantic Digital CorriAL DIGITAL INFRASTRUC- dor proposes a new vision. TURE A continuous submarine digital Traditionally, submarine systems have been viewed primarily as international telecommunications assets. The future demands a broader perspective.

Defense installations. Emerging tems.

The South Atlantic coast represents a unique opportunity to create a complementary digital backbone that strengthens national connectivity while supporting future economic development.

• Cloud Computing

Modern submarine infrastructure supports:

• Artificial Intelligence

infrastructure extending along Argentina’s Atlantic coastline.

Potential landing locations may include:

• Las Toninas • Mar del Plata • Bahía Blanca • Puerto Madryn • Comodoro Rivadavia

ISSUE 150 • Puerto Deseado

A gateway connecting oceans.

• Río Gallegos

A gateway connecting continents.

• Río Grande • Ushuaia Rather than replacing existing infrastructure, the corridor would complement and strengthen it. The objective is not redundancy alone. The objective is transformation. A new digital platform capable of supporting future generations of services and applications.

A gateway connecting the future.

CONNECTING THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS One of the most transformative aspects of this vision is the possibility of future integration with Pacific-facing infrastructure. The concept of a bi-oceanic digital corridor linking Atlantic and Pacific networks creates significant opportunities for regional resilience.

Digital sovereignty is not isolation. Digital sovereignty is capability. The capability to build, manage and evolve national digital infrastructure aligned with national interests and future development goals.

OPEN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EVERYONE The South Atlantic Digital Corridor should be conceived as open infrastructure. Its success depends upon participation.

USHUAIA: THE SOUTHERN DIGITAL GATEWAY Such integration would not mere- Telecommunications operators. Every major infrastructure initiative requires a strategic focal point.

ly benefit Argentina.

For the South Atlantic Digital Corridor, that focal point is Ushuaia.

A future Atlantic–Pacific digital bridge could strengthen regional connectivity while reducing dependency on single transport corridors.

Often recognized as the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia occupies a unique geographic position. It is simultaneously connected to:

• The South Atlantic.

It would benefit the entire Southern Cone.

In an increasingly interconnected world, resilience is becoming as valuable as capacity.

• The Pacific basin through

DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY IN THE AI ERA

• Antarctica. • Scientific missions.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming one of the defining technologies of our time.

• Maritime logistics.

AI requires:

southern routes.

• Strategic defense interests.

• Massive data transport.

This unique geography creates an extraordinary opportunity.

• Cloud infrastructure.

Ushuaia can evolve beyond its traditional role as a regional city.

• Low latency connectivity.

It can become the Southern Digital Gateway. A hub where digital, scientific, commercial and strategic interests converge.

works.

international

Governments. Research institutions. Infrastructure investors. Technology providers. Energy companies. All have a role to play. Open access principles can maximize participation while creating a platform capable of supporting diverse stakeholders.

WHY HYPERSCALERS SHOULD CARE Cloud providers and hyperscalers have become major investors in submarine infrastructure worldwide. Their participation reflects a simple reality.

• Data centers. • Reliable

Hyperscalers.

net-

Countries seeking to participate in the AI economy must invest in the digital foundations that support these technologies.

Digital grow.

demand

continues

The Southern Cone presents significant opportunities for future investment. New routes. New landing points.

MAGAZINE | September 2026

New data center opportunities.

will be defined by collaboration.

LEGISLACIÓN ARGENTINA

New cloud regions.

The South Atlantic Digital Corridor seeks to provide a framework for that collaboration.

República Argentina. Ley N.º 24.543, aprobación de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar.

New digital ecosystems. The South Atlantic Digital Corridor offers a framework through which these opportunities may be explored collaboratively.

The next strategic corridor of South America may not be built on land. It may be built beneath the South

BEYOND TELECOMMUNICA- Atlantic Ocean. TIONS This initiative is not solely about telecommunications. It is about economic development. Scientific cooperation. Regional integration. National resilience. Digital sovereignty. Artificial intelligence. Cloud infrastructure. Energy transformation. The corridor represents an opportunity to rethink how South America connects itself to the world.

A CALL FOR COLLABORATION The South Atlantic Digital Corridor is not intended to be the vision of a single company, institution or government. It is an invitation.

And perhaps the next great chapter in global connectivity will begin at the southernmost digital gateway on Earth. “Ushuaia”.

REFERENCES: NORMATIVA INTERNACIONAL United Nations, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982. Artículos 79, 87 y 112–115. UNCLOS with article titles+1 United Nations, Rights and Duties of States in the Exclusive Economic Zone, UNCLOS Part V, Arts. 56–58. UNCLOS

MARCO CONCEPTUAL GEBCO Compilation Group. The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO).

To infrastructure investors.

International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC). Recommendations for the Protection of Submarine Cables.

To technology providers.

CARTOGRAFÍA

To governments.

Natural Earth Data – Public Domain.

An invitation to operators. To hyperscalers.

To academia. To the global submarine cable community. The future of digital infrastructure 72

SUBTEL FORUM | Issue 150

OpenStreetMap Contributors – Open Database License (ODbL).

República Argentina. Ley N.º 27.078 – Argentina Digital. República Argentina. Ley General del Ambiente N.º 25.675.

Dr. Javier Valdez is a Buenos Aires-based telecommunications consultant with 33 years of experience in terrestrial and submarine optical networks. A SubOptic Mentor & Mentee Committee member, he has supported projects worldwide. He also teaches at UTN-BA and contributes to COPITEC’s Fiber Optics Subcommittee and Fiber Broadband LatAm’s Operations and Regulatory Committees.

ISSUE 150

ANALYTICS BY SUBTEL FORUM

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Cable System Age 0-5 Years (69) 11-15 Years (67) 6-10 Years (79) 16+ Years (204) Planned Systems (74)

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1,250

2,500

5,000 Kilometers

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MAGAZINE | September 2026

DIGITAL TRANSIT AND THE HEART OF THE SILICON FOREST: WHY THE FINAL 100 MILES DEFINES GLOBAL AI CAPACITY By Matt Updenkelder

BEYOND THE BEACH

The global submarine cable industry has spent the last decade in a building frenzy. Billions of dollars now rest on the ocean floor in the form of fiber-optic systems spanning the Atlantic, the Pacific, and every sea in between. These systems are engineering marvels, designed as they are to survive earthquakes and the crushing pressure of the deep. They carry the vast majority of intercontinental data traffic, from financial transactions to AI training sets to the video calls to nonna or baba or abuela that keep families connected across vast distances. But here’s what rarely gets discussed at subsea conferences: those cables don’t end at the beach. They begin there. The moment a submarine cable makes landfall, it enters a different world—one governed not by marine geology and repeater spacing, but by terrestrial permitting, rights-of-way, soil conditions, and the unglamorous realities of trenching through forests, farm74

land, and municipal jurisdictions. This is the Final 100 Miles, the terrestrial backhaul that connects beach manholes to the data centers where global traffic actually terminates. And increasingly, this stretch of land-based infrastructure is what separates a worldclass subsea investment from an expensive cable that goes nowhere useful. I’ve spent my career in this transitional space, where the ocean meets the dirt. And the lesson I keep learning, first from my mentors and now from the demands of AI-scale connectivity, is simple: the route is the product. A subsea system is only as resilient, as diverse, and as valuable as the terrestrial network that extends it.

THE DIVERSITY MYTH The submarine cable industry talks constantly about diversity. Route diversity. Landing diversity. Geographic diversity. These aren’t buzzwords—they reflect hard-won lessons from cable cuts, anchor drags, and natural disasters that have taken entire regions offline. But true diversity is rarer than it appears.

SUBBTEL FORUM | Issue 150

Consider this: two cables landing at different beaches, built by different consortiums, may still share a single terrestrial conduit for the final leg into a metro data center market. On paper, they look like independent systems. In practice, they share a destiny. One backhoe, one landslide, one permit dispute—boom! Both paths go dark instantly and simultaneously. This is the diversity myth. It persists because the subsea world and the terrestrial world often operate in silos. Subsea engineers are experts in marine surveys, cable lay, and repeater design. They know the ocean floor. But the moment the cable crosses the beach manhole, they’re in unfamiliar territory, and dependent on local partners who may or may not understand the stakes. The solution isn’t more cables. It’s separation. Real geographic diversity means physically distinct paths: different trenches, different rights-of-way, different failure domains. It means building terrestrial infrastructure with the same rigor, foresight and paranoia that the subsea industry applies to its wet plant.

ISSUE 150 FROM FIELDS TO FIBER My understanding of infrastructure didn’t start with the complexities of fiber optics. It started with my dad, Doug…and Greg Palser, a farm kid from Nebraska. Greg was born in 1952 and was raised on a family farm in Big Springs, Nebraska. He learned how to drive a truck at age seven and could eventually operate every piece of equipment on that farm. He spent plenty of nights repairing machinery so it would be ready for the field the next morning. That combination of mechanical aptitude, relentless work ethic, and practical problem-solving defined everything Greg did for the rest of his life.

networks across Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. CoastCom had two branches: telecommunications services and fiber-optic construction. Together, they helped connect rural Oregon to high-speed internet, and eventually to the global submarine cable systems landing on the Pacific coast. Greg became deeply involved in subsea projects, bringing his trucking-era instincts to an entirely new medium. Glass instead of asphalt. Light instead of diesel. But the same fundamental principle: the route is the lifeline.

SILICON FOREST Greg’s work laid the groundwork for what the American West Coast has become: a global hub for hyperscale data centers, AI compute, and submarine cable landings. The region now known as the Silicon Forest didn’t happen by accident. It emerged from a rare confluence of three factors that every major AI and cloud buildout requires.

Oregon offers low-cost electricity, heavily weighted toward renewable sources—hydroelectric, wind, and increasingly solar. For hyperscalers with aggressive Greg passed away in July 2021. ESG commitments and AI trainHe was a family friend for 30 ing clusters that run around the years, my boss for six years and clock, this isn’t a nice-to-have. my mentor and colleague until It’s a requirement. The AmeriIn the late ‘70s, Greg moved to can West Coast’s power Oregon, getting work as a “The solution isn’t more cables. It’s profile makes it one of diesel mechanic. That led the few regions in North to Mid-Coast Truck & Re- separation. Real geographic diversity America where you can pair, which grew into Mid- means physically distinct paths: differrun multi-hundred-megaCoast Trucking—a com- ent trenches, different rights-of-way, watt data center campuspany that became well different failure domains.” es without compromising known up and down the sustainability targets. West Coast for hauling fish he left us. Greg’s legacy is evsouth and bringing produce back Hillsboro and the surrounding erywhere at Astound and his innorth. Greg understood logistics area also offer purpose-built data fluence shapes everything I do at a visceral level. He knew that center campuses with the zontoday. He taught me that infracargo has no value until it reaching, water access, and utility instructure is built on relationships, es its destination. The truck, the frastructure to support massive and on surrounding yourself with route, the timing; none of these builds. Unlike constrained urban people who understand the value things were abstractions. They markets, there’s room to scale— of their word and a handshake. made the difference between a and local jurisdictions that underGreg was the kind of man who profitable run and a loss. stand the economic value of the would invite you to his wedding digital economy. In the mid-1990s, Greg sold Mid- after only meeting you once. He Coast and spent a summer cross- loved people and he built solid Then there’s fiber. Dense, diverse ing the country on his motorcycle. relationships; this was the infra- connectivity to Asia-Pacific subWhen he returned, he partnered structure of his life. marine cable systems ties everywith my father, Doug Updenthing together. Hillsboro sits at In an industry full of complex conkelder, to start Action Networks; the terminus of multiple subsea tracts and multinational consora small copy and technology cenroutes, giving hyperscalers direct tiums, this people-first ethos and ter that evolved into an internet access to the fastest-growing doing what you say you’re going service provider for rural Oregon data markets on the planet. AI to do still matters. Perhaps more communities. As dial-up gave training workloads, in particular, than ever. way to broadband, they founded demand continuous high-bandCoastCom, which built fiber-optic THE BEATING HEART OF THE width feeds from Asia-Pacific MAGAZINE | September 2026

sources. Not bursty traffic, but a constant, high-pressure stream of data that can’t tolerate interruption.

avoid shared conduits, shared rights-of-way, and shared failure domains. If a customer needs two diverse paths, they get two diverse paths—not two cables in the same trench. We use single-mode G.652.D fiber—specifically Corning SMF-28 Ultra—with inline amplifier spacing calibrated to respect the optical characteristics of subsea systems. When light travels thousands of kilometers across the ocean floor and then transitions to terrestrial fiber, the last thing you want is a performance mismatch at the beach manhole.

Subsea engineers are worldclass experts in their domain. They understand cable lay, burial depth, repeater spacing, and the geology of the ocean floor. But the moment a cable crosses the beach, they’re often working with partners who don’t fully grasp the stakes—or the technical requirements.

The intersection of power, space, and fiber makes this data center heart of the Silicon Forest the heavy-industry zone of the information age. And as AI training transitions from experimental workloads to industrial-scale Terrestrial backhaul isn’t just pipelines, the demands on terabout trenching and conduit. It’s restrial infrastructure are scaling about permitting, environmental accordingly. Where traditional fireview, rights-of-way negotiation, ber routes ran 144-count cables— and coordination with state and sufficient for the telecom era— local agencies that have their the new standard is for campus own timelines and priorities. A and metro DCI is 3,456-count. The proof is on the ground, so subsea project can spend years This creates a high-performance to speak. Our Oregon route, the and hundreds of millions of dolhybrid architecture: while our Wilson Route, runs approximately lars on marine engineering, only long-haul backhaul routes are 170 kilometers from Pacific coast to stall for months at the shore engineered to optimize for low landing sites to the hyperscale because someone underestimatattenuation over vast dised the complexity of gettances, these high-count “The Final 100 Miles isn’t a footnote to ting permits through State metro rings are optimized subsea investment. It’s the factor that and Federal environmenfor the massive density tal agencies. determines whether that investment required by hyperscale This is where we add valdelivers value.” interconnections. These ue. We know the dirt. We aren’t back roads anyconduct desktop studmore. They’re superhighways, data center core in Hillsboro. It’s ies and terrestrial route analysis engineered for the relentless tid- fully underground, traversing the long before the cable hits the al flow of global data. Coast Range through some of beach—identifying permitting the most challenging terrain in risks, easement challenges, and BUILDING THE STEEL RING America. In California, we’ve built construction constraints early in At Astound, we design and build two fully underground segments the project lifecycle. We coorditerrestrial backhaul with a phi- connecting the Grover Beach and nate with state DOTs, county road losophy we call the Steel Ring: a San Luis Obispo area to terrestrial departments, and environmental commitment to fully underground, networks: a 29-kilometer coastal agencies. We understand which geographically distinct routes en- path and a 27-kilometer inland routes are buildable, which are gineered for subsea-grade per- path, forming a fail-safe ring from nightmares, and which require formance. the beach manhole. creative problem-solving. Every meter of our backhaul Together, these routes create a The result is infrastructure that routes is buried. Aerial fiber is terrestrial steel ring that matches delivers on the promise of subsea cheaper to install, but it’s vulner- the diversity integrity of the subinvestment: direct, carrier-neutral able to weather, vehicle strikes, sea networks they extend. pathways into the cloud ecosysand vandalism. For infrastructure tems that drive global business. BRIDGING THE GAP that extends billion-dollar subsea investments, aerial is not an ac- One of the persistent challenges RELIABILITY AS A DISCIceptable trade-off. in subsea projects is the knowl- PLINE edge gap between marine and Our routes are designed to Carrier-grade reliability isn’t a terrestrial teams. 76

SUBTEL FORUM | Issue 150

ISSUE 150 marketing claim. It’s a discipline: a function of people, processes, and operational rigor maintained 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We maintain fully staffed emergency restoration teams across our network footprint. When a fiber cut occurs (and they do occur, despite every precaution), our teams respond immediately. We also provide remote-hands support for Power Feed Equipment along our terrestrial routes, ensuring that subsea operators have local resources available for Power Feed Equipment (PFE) monitoring and maintenance. This operational discipline has earned recognition. PCMag has ranked Astound the number-one Business ISP for Overall Satisfaction, Speed, and Reliability—a reflection of the fact that local rigor scales to global trust. When a hyperscaler or subsea consortium chooses a terrestrial partner, they’re not just buying fiber. They’re buying the confidence that someone will answer the phone at 2 a.m. and know exactly how to help.

THE STAKES The infrastructure we build isn’t abstract. It powers the industries shaping the next decade of the global economy. Low-latency routes between Tokyo and New York determine trading strategy in global finance, where microseconds define competitive advantage. The terrestrial leg is often the variable that determines whether a route meets latency targets. Continuous data feeds from Asia-Pacific markets fuel large-scale AI model training—workloads that don’t burst but sustain, requiring infrastructure that delivers uncompromis-

ing uptime and bandwidth hour after hour, month after month. Global 8K content delivery, real-time collaboration between research hospitals, and secure sharing of genomic sequencing data across continents all depend on infrastructure that’s invisible when it works—and catastrophic when it doesn’t. Every one of these global functions depends, quite literally, on kilometers of glass buried beneath Oregon and California. The Final 100 Miles isn’t a footnote to subsea investment. It’s the factor that determines whether that investment delivers value.

a single system, and who build it accordingly. That’s the promise of the data center heart of the Silicon Forest. And that’s the purpose that drives Astound and our important work of connecting people. Matt Updenkelder is Vice President of Infrastructure Development at Astound Business Solutions, where he oversees terrestrial backhaul and fiber infrastructure projects connecting submarine cable landings to hyperscale data center markets across the western United States.

LEGACY AND PARTNERSHIP Greg Palser taught me that true builders don’t just move goods. They move relationships forward. He started driving tractors as a kid in Nebraska, built a trucking company that connected the West Coast, and pivoted to fiber optics when he realized connectivity was the new freight. He never stopped learning, never stopped building, and never lost sight of the principle that defined his career: the route is the lifeline, and relationships are what make the route possible. That principle now lives in fiber which bridges earth and cloud, field and data center, the physical world and the digital one. The next decade of global capacity will be won, not by those who lay the longest cables, but by those who finish the job. By those who make the final hundred miles as secure, diverse, and enduring as the thousands of kilometers before them. By those who understand that subsea and terrestrial infrastructure are not separate disciplines, but two halves of MAGAZINE | September 2026

KEEPING ISLANDS CONNECTED: BUILDING TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESILIENCE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC By Isobel Yeo, Mike Clare, Alexandra Loveridge, James Christie, Rebecca Nottingham, Camino Kavanagh, John Wrottesley, Mele Manu, Rennie Vaiomounga, Rhinehart Silas, and Semisi Panuve

A new international research project is bringing together marine scientists, the subsea cable industry, telecommunications operators, governments and social scientists to understand where South Pacific connectivity is most vulnerable, and how the next generation of telecommunications infrastructure can be made more resilient.

pendent on a single international cable, the same physical fault can have national and potentially catastrophic consequences. This was demonstrated dramatically in Tonga in January 2022. The huge explosive eruption of Hunga Volcano triggered a complex sequence of hazards, including tsunami waves and the transfer of enormous volumes of volcanic material into the ocean. Approximately 194 km of telecommunications cable on domestic and international routes were buried beneath or damaged by resultant seafloor volcanic sediment flows1.

WHEN A CABLE FAULT BETonga’s international cable conCOMES A NATIONAL EMER- nection was severed at a critical GENCY moment when reliable communiThe consequences of a subsea cable failure depend strongly on the network in which it occurs. In a highly connected telecommunications network, traffic can often be rerouted onto another cable in response to a fault and users may experience little or no disruption. In these cases, while the fault may be expensive for the cable owner or operator, its wider societal consequences can be limited. By contrast, for a remote island de78

cations were desperately needed for disaster response. Restoring the international connection to Tongatapu took around five weeks, during which Tonga operated with less than one percent of its normal telecommunications bandwidth. Repair of the domestic cable system serving the northern islands took much longer. Tonga’s experience demonstrates that subsea telecommunications infrastructure should be

SUBBTEL FORUM | Issue 150

regarded as critical national infrastructure and incorporated into national disaster risk reduction, emergency communications and infrastructure resilience planning. Following a major disaster, families are likely to need financial assistance from overseas precisely when disruption to telecommunications interferes with the mechanisms through which that assistance arrives. Healthcare systems depend upon communications between facilities and specialists and increasingly upon access to digital records. Emergency responders require reliable and timely information. Education, communities, social networks, businesses and government services can all be affected. Damage to a cable may be far removed, happening far from shore and beneath several kilometres of water, yet the consequences are felt personally and acutely in homes, hospitals, classrooms and businesses. The socio-economic cost of a cable fault is therefore much greater than merely the direct monetary cost of repairing the cable itself. Tonga has also experienced cable damage associated with

ISSUE 150 other processes during the past decade, including anchor drags and earthquake-triggered submarine landslides. Elsewhere in the region, telecommunications disruption has resulted from a similarly diverse range of causes. This underlines the fact that the next cable fault may not resemble the last one and a need for broad understanding of risks and that particular attention should be given to cascading hazards, such as where volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, submarine landslides, tsunamis and seafloor flows may interact and affect telecommunications infrastructure well beyond the immediate source area. The case of Tonga clearly shows the pressing need to enhance the resilience of subsea cable networks, particularly in these remote island contexts.

MORE CONNECTED DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN MORE RESILIENT The Pacific is entering a period of major change in digital connectivity. New international subsea cable connections will increase capacity, reduce isolation and create new economic opportunities. Improved internet access is projected to add more than $5 billion to Pacific GDP and create 300,000 jobs by 2040. The challenge, however, is to ensure that the networks being created are not merely more expansive, but also more resilient. Across the South Pacific, subsea telecommunications cables provide essential links between geographically dispersed island communities and the wider world. They enable banking, tourism, education, healthcare, government services, disaster response, international trade and commu-

nication with family members overseas. Remittances sent from abroad can be particularly important for small islands, accounting for almost half of Tonga’s GDP. For many islands, international connectivity may depend on only one or two physical cable routes or fragile telecommunications infrastructure. Subsea cables are designed to be robust and the global network has an impressive record of reliability. Adding another cable can greatly improve connectivity, but two cables do not necessarily create a resilient network if they share the same landing station, follow similar routes or remain exposed to the same regional hazards. For nations such as Tonga and Palau, redundancy should therefore be assessed not only by the number of cable connections, but by the geographical and geological independence of cable routes, landing sites and supporting infrastructure. This requires careful consideration of the differing hazards that may affect different cable routes. As the example of Tonga demonstrates, the South Pacific, is one example of a region where specific geography combines with exposure to a wide range of natural and human hazards. Understanding the resulting risk requires considering three interconnected dimensions: i) the hazards to which infrastructure is exposed; ii) the vulnerability of the telecommunications network; and iii) the consequences for the people and services that depend upon it. This therefore creates a fundamentally different resilience challenge for remote Small Island Developing States in the South Pacific compared with highly connected regions such as Europe,

North America or East Asia. Consequently, building redundancy into the system must consider a range of geographical factors, not simply the absolute number of cables.. A new research project called South Pacific Subsea Cable and Telecommunications Resilience (SP-SCATR) aims to understand and address this challenge from the seabed all the way to the communities that depend upon connectivity. Led by the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and enabled by the United Nations Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure programme, the project focuses particularly on Tonga and Palau while developing approaches intended to be applicable across South Pacific Small Island Developing States. The project team includes partners from Tonga, Palau, and others across the South Pacific including the Pacific Island Telecommunications Association, as well as academic and policy experts from the UK and support from the International Cable Protection Committee.

HAZARDS AND CHANGING EXPOSURE A recent study2 by the project team, showed that small islands in the South Pacific are disproportionately exposed to a diverse range of hazards that can cause telecommunications outages. The South Pacific contains active tectonic plate boundaries, some of the world’s most active volcanoes, steep submarine slopes and deep ocean trenches. Islands are also exposed to tropical cyclones, extreme rainfall, coastal flooding and tsunamis, while human activities add another layer of risk. Fishing and anchoring re-

MAGAZINE | September 2026

Images: Below are examples of damage on Tongatapu associated with the January 2022 Hunga Volcano tsunami, photographed during field investigations in 2024.

main important causes of cable faults globally, particularly in shallower water, while coastal development and changing patterns of marine activity can alter exposure around cable landing points and shelf sections of routes. This hazard environment is far from static. Sea-level rise, changing storm patterns, coastal erosion, flooding and changes in rainfall may affect cable landing infrastructure directly or modify processes capable of generating offshore hazards. Climate change may also alter how people use the ocean, potentially shifting patterns of fishing and other activities.

Regional connectivity makes this still more complex. A cable landing in Tonga or Palau does not operate independently of the wider Pacific network; its international connectivity may ultimately depend upon hubs located hundreds or thousands of kilometres away. Damage at a regional pinch point can therefore disrupt countries downstream that experience no local hazard themselves. Understanding resilience therefore means asking not simply where a cable might break, but also what happens to the network more broadly if it does.

SOCIETAL CONSEQUENCES There is a third dimension that is

have different dependencies. A map showing probability of cable damage therefore tells only part of the story. Connecting physical infrastructure risk with social vulnerability is therefore central to the project. The SP-SCATR team will combine telecommunications information with population and socioeconomic datasets to explore how connectivity relates to health, education and economic activity; examine experiences of previous outages across the South Pacific; and investigate where the consequences of losing connectivity are likely to be greatest, building a regional picture of present and future risk.

NETWORK VULNERABILI- less commonly incorporated into TY AND REGIONAL PINCH cable hazard assessments: who Rather than examining volcanoes, is affected when connectivity dis- earthquakes, storms, landslides POINTS Physical exposure is only one part of the problem. Network resilience also depends upon redundancy, route diversity, repair capability, landing infrastructure, satellite and other backup systems, and the ability to reroute traffic when infrastructure fails. 80

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appears.

Different communities depend upon telecommunications in different ways. A region heavily reliant on tourism, for example, may be particularly financially vulnerable to an outage, while healthcare, education, government and emergency response may

or human activities independently, the project will develop a comprehensive regional Geographic Information System to take an integrated multi-hazard and interdisciplinary approach. This will allow the team to investigate where different hazards overlap with cable routes, how exposure

ISSUE 150 varies between different island and network settings, where regional pinch points occur, and how those patterns could change in future. The project will also examine how the hazard environment may evolve during the operational lifetime of new infrastructure. This could include identifying coastlines increasingly exposed to erosion or flooding, areas where changing rainfall could influence sediment transport, or regions where changing human activity alters the probability of damage to cables.

TONGA AND PALAU: WATCHING RESILIENCE CHANGE Tonga and Palau provide particularly valuable opportunities for understanding these relationships. Both countries have historically suffered connectivity outages while depending heavily upon limited international subsea connectivity, and both are moving towards greater network diversity. Most studies of infrastructure resilience investigate systems after they fail. Here, there is also an opportunity to examine what happens as resilience increases. By assessing telecommunications and socioeconomic conditions as additional connectivity becomes available, the project will explore whether additional connections improve reliability uniformly; which communities benefit most; whether improved international connections translate into better access to education, employment or healthcare; where bottlenecks remain within domestic networks; and which forms of redundancy provide the greatest resilience dividend. These questions extend well be-

yond Tonga and Palau, as across the Pacific, major investment is being made in new submarine cable infrastructure. Some islands are receiving their first fibre-optic connections; others are gaining second or third routes. Each new cable therefore represents opportunities to increase connectivity and to design resilience into the network.

DESIGNING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PACIFIC CONNECTIVITY Ultimately, the project aims to provide evidence that can support practical decisions. For example, where should future cables be routed? Where does geographic route diversity provide the greatest benefit? Which landing sites and regional hubs represent critical pinch points? Where are backup systems particularly important? Which communities and essential services are most vulnerable to outages? We also want to consider how these answers might change over the operational lifetime of the next generation of infrastructure. There is unlikely to be a single answer that works everywhere. For remote island states, resilient telecommunications planning needs to include adequate emergency satellite and alternative communications capacity to maintain priority government and essential services during extended subsea cable outages. This requires an understanding of the hazard scenarios that may occur, how and where telecommunications are used, and how to ensure that the most vulnerable are protected from outages. South Pacific islands vary enormously in geography, hazard exposure, economic resources,

population distribution and telecommunications infrastructure. The morphology and hazard environment of an atoll, for example, are fundamentally different from those of a steep volcanic island. The regional risk framework developed by the project is therefore intended to help identify appropriate resilience strategies for different island and network settings rather than prescribe a universal model. Expertise and datasets held by organisations like Tonga’s Natural Resources Division and cable owners form essential contributions to this project. At a national level, effective telecommunications resilience requires sustained coordination between telecommunications operators, geological and natural-hazard agencies, disaster-management authorities and other relevant government agencies so that hazard information is incorporated into infrastructure planning, emergency preparedness and recovery arrangements. The project aims to strengthen national technical capacity to maintain, interpret and apply the resulting hazard, GIS and resilience information for future infrastructure planning and disaster-risk management. On a regional basis, it is hoped that enhanced knowledge exchange, training opportunities and more effective communication with key decision-makers will ensure this is not only a topic that is discussed, but one that is acted upon.

FROM RESEARCH TO DECISIONS Research only improves infrastructure resilience if it can be translated into decisions. Knowledge exchange will therefore be embedded throughout SP-SCATR. The project brings together

MAGAZINE | September 2026

marine scientists, telecommunications specialists, governments, infrastructure operators and social scientists, combining expertise from within the South Pacific with international experience. A programme of workshops will take place in Tonga and Palau, alongside wider regional engagement through telecommunications meetings including the International Cable Protection Committee and Pacific Telecommunications Council. These will aim to explore key questions including where would the loss of connectivity matter most, why is that connectivity vulnerable, and what can be done now to make it more resilient? Answering these questions could help ensure that the unprecedented investment now being made in South Pacific digital connectivity delivers not only more connections, but networks capable of maintaining the services on which island communities increasingly depend.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS AND THE PROJECT Isobel Yeo, Mike Clare, James Christie and Alexandra Loveridge are researchers at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC). Rebecca Nottingham is an independent consultant at RN Subsea Ltd. Dr Camino Kavanagh is a Fellow with the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). John Wrottesley is General Manager of the International Cable Protection Committee. Mele Manu (Chief Geologist) and Rennie Vaiomounga (Deputy CEO for Natural Resources Division) represent the Natural Resources Division, Ministry of Lands, Survey, Spatial Planning and Natural Resources, Kingdom of Tonga. Rhinehart Silas is General Manager of the Belau Sub82

SUBTEL FORUM | Issue 150

marine Cable Corporation, Palau. Semisi Panuve is Chief Executive Officer of Tonga Cable Ltd. SP-SCATR (South Pacific Subsea Cable and Telecommunications Resilience) is led by Dr Isobel Yeo at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), UK, working with partners and stakeholders in Tonga, Palau and across the South Pacific. SP-SCATR extends its gratitude to the Governments of India, Australia, and the United Kingdom, and to the European Union, for their financial support through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure’s Infrastructure Resilience Accelerator Fund (CDRI IRAF). If you would like to contribute to or engage with the project, please contact i.yeo@noc.ac.uk.

REFERENCES Clare, M.A., Yeo, I.A., Watson, S., Wysoczanski, R., Seabrook, S., Mackay, K., Hunt, J.E., Lane, E., Talling, P.J., Pope, E. and Cronin, S., 2023. Fast and destructive density currents created by ocean-entering volcanic eruptions. Science, 381(6662), pp.1085-1092. Yeo, I., Clare, M.A., West, M., Wilson, S., Bricheno, L., Wrottesley, J., Preedy, K., Komboi, P., Burdette, L., Kula, T. and Vaiomounga, R., 2026. Hazards and resilience of subsea telecommunications connections for small islands. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, p.106213.

CITATIONS [1] Clare, Yeo et al. (2023), “Fast and destructive density currents created by ocean-entering volcanic eruptions,” Sci-

ence. Read the paper [2] Yeo et al. (2026), “Hazards and resilience of subsea telecommunications connections for small islands,” International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. Read the paper

Isobel Yeo is a Principal Research Scientist at the National Oceanography Centre specialising in submarine volcanism, marine geohazards and the processes that shape the seafloor. Her research uses marine geophysical surveys, autonomous and remotely operated technologies, and geological observations to understand submarine volcanic hazards and their potential impacts on critical seafloor infrastructure. Dr Mike Clare is a Research Scientist and Hazards and Pollution Mission Network Lead at the National Oceanography Centre, specialising in marine geohazards, sediment transport and risks to critical seafloor infrastructure. His research focuses particularly on submarine landslides, turbidity currents, volcanic hazards and climate-related changes, and how these processes affect subsea telecommunications cables and coastal and island communities. James Christie is a Research Scientist in Geospatial Vulnerability at the National Oceanography Centre. His work uses geospatial data and

ISSUE 150 analysis to understand patterns of environmental and societal vulnerability, including the exposure and resilience of critical infrastructure to natural and human-induced hazards. Dr Alexandra Loveridge is a Research Scientist in Socio-Oceanography at the National Oceanography Centre, working at the interface between ocean science and society. Her research combines ecological, socio-economic and human-mobility data to investigate the blue economy, fisheries, climate adaptation and the vulnerability and resilience of coastal communities. Rebecca Nottingham is an independent subsea infrastructure consultant with extensive experience in critical infrastructure resilience, international security and government policy. She previously led UK Government policy on subsea fibre-optic communications and now provides specialist advice on the resilience and security of submarine cable systems and wider subsea infrastructure. Dr Camino Kavanagh is a Fellow in the Security and Technology Programme at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), with expertise spanning international security, technology, conflict and critical infrastructure. Her current work includes a particular focus on the security and resilience of critical subsea infrastructure and the international policy and governance challenges associated with subma-

rine cables. John Wrottesley is General Manager of the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) and Executive Director of the European Subsea Cables Association. He has two decades of experience in the subsea cable sector, including marine planning, permitting, research and engagement with governments and other stakeholders on the protection and resilience of submarine infrastructure. Mele Manu is Chief Geologist within the Natural Resources Division of the Ministry of Lands, Survey, Spatial Planning and Natural Resources, Kingdom of Tonga. Her work includes geological and volcanic hazard assessment in Tonga, contributing local scientific expertise and knowledge of the country’s highly active and predominantly submarine geological environment.

Rhinehart Silas is General Manager of the Belau Submarine Cable Corporation, which manages Palau’s international submarine cable connectivity. He brings an operational telecommunications perspective to understanding the challenges of maintaining secure and resilient international connectivity for small island states, where submarine cables provide essential links to the global digital network. Semisi Panuve is Chief Executive Officer of Tonga Cable Ltd, the operator responsible for Tonga’s international and domestic submarine telecommunications cable infrastructure. He has extensive first-hand experience of managing cable resilience and recovery following major natural disasters, including the widespread disruption caused by the 2022 Hunga volcanic eruption, and contributes an important operator perspective on strengthening connectivity for vulnerable island states.

Rennie Vaiomounga is Deputy CEO for the Natural Resources Division of the Ministry of Lands, Survey, Spatial Planning and Natural Resources, Kingdom of Tonga. He contributes expertise in natural resources and geoscience to the assessment and management of Tonga’s natural hazards and their implications for communities, infrastructure and national resilience.

MAGAZINE | September 2026

SAEX EAST: WHERE DO THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW? By Dr. Rosalind Thomas

INTRODUCTION – SO, IS SAEX EAST A SLOW HORSE?

formidable commercial and technical support and guidance provided by a senior PCCW Global Everyone in the Industry team assigned to work with us by PCCWG management. That team thinks that the SAEx East greatly reinforced the advisory Project has been around services provided by our own for 15 years, surviving as a consultants, industry veterans Peter Howard and John Tibbles. project but never making Together we were able to develmuch progress. op the Project to the point where In reality it is not that old. And in February 2025, we successfar from being ‘dead in the wafully concluded a Cooperation ter’, it is now moving faster “Far from being ‘dead in the water’, Agreement with the Industhan ever and accelerating trial Development Corpotowards what looks like a it is now moving faster than ever and ration of South Africa (the very positive conclusion – accelerating towards what looks like IDC), bringing them in as the project is expected to a Co-Developer (together a very positive conclusion.” reach CIF by Q3 or early Q4 with SIML). IDC made a subof 2027. over 5 years since that date. The stantial risk capital investment, Actual planning for SAEx East 15-year period that includes the with the objective of completing (previously conceptualized as time spent on SAEx West (also activities that were identified as SAEx2) – an 11,700 kms system previously referred to as SAEx1), necessary to achieve what IDC designed to extend from Cape began in 2015 but was parked in calls “bankable feasibility” – in other words, to get the project to Town to Singapore and several 2019 (more on this later). financial close and CIF. The IDC is points in-between – began after As SAEx International Managethe end of the Covid Pandemic ment Ltd (SIML), the Sponsor a strong, national DFI, established following an MOU signed with company of the SAEx East Project in 1940 by the South African GovPCCW Global in December 2020. (the “Project”), we are pleased to ernment to drive industrializaBut actual work on the project did advise that this Project has made tion, promote economic growth, and foster regional integration not begin until mid-2021. considerable progress since we across Africa. Their support has The SAEx East Project as Phase 1: first began to develop it in early allowed us to secure new conJune 2021. sulting advisors just at the critical In early June 2021, with help from From 2021, we had the benefit of moment when we needed them. PCCW Global, we re-issued a ven84

dor RFP for SAEx East, as Phase 1 of the SAEx Southern Oceans Network (SON). The RFP went to ASN, NEC, and SubCom. The first two participated in the eventual bidding process but SubCom declined for capacity reasons. ASN won the tender (they had previously won a bid for SAEx West) and remain our Preferred Supplier today. SAEx East as a new system means we have only been working on this project for just

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ISSUE 150

The IDC has also issued a conditional LOI for the main project financing, indicating an intention to invest ~US$90 million in both equity and debt should bankable feasibility be achieved. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond their control, PCCWG ended their support for the Project around November 2025 in order to allocate more of their resources to emerging global business challenges. At the same time, some of our own consultants were considering retirement. The investment received from the IDC enabled SIML to appoint new consultants for commercial, technical, and legal advisory work both in the UK and Singapore.

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT: In 2024 the Infrastructure Fund – a ring-fenced business unit of the National Treasury of the Government of South Africa, identified the SAEx East Project as a “Strategic Mega Infrastructure Project

in the Telecoms Sector” for the country and listed it in its Budgetary Facility for Infrastructure Pipeline as a conditional investment target. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was concluded in July 2024 and is currently being revised and updated. The government’s investment would include: (i) equity of up to 23% in the Project SPV via a State-Owned Entity (in this case Broadband InfraCo, or BBI); and (ii) the purchase of two fibre pairs, one each for BBI and for the government’s science and research activities under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The conditions for National Treasury approval of this investment included a Cost Benefit Analysis, a Social and Environmental Impact Assessment, and a Feasibility Study. On behalf of BBI, SIML procured consultants to carry out these studies, each of which were strongly supportive of the investment. What remains is for BBI and CSIR to prepare business cases showing the positive integration of the purchased

fibre pair into the government’s respective programs to facilitate both broad-based and affordable ICT service delivery throughout the country, for BBI known as SA Connect, and in support of the country’s global R&D and collaborative science projects under what is called (for CSIR) the NICIS Programme standing for the National Integrated Cyber Infrastructure System. For example, the Square Kilometer Array (SKAMid)1 project.

PROGRESS TOWARDS CIF: The SAEx East Project, in project finance2 parlance, is currently in “downstream” status, i.e., where it is considered within reach of financial close (i.e., synonymous with CIF). Activities needed to reach financial close include a combination of commercial (sales), transactional (legal contracting), and technical and financial structuring of the Project. To implement these activities, SIML has appointed several key project advisors; (i) Subsea Networks Solutions Ltd. of the UK as technical and commercial advis-

MAGAZINE | September 2026

ers; (ii) Keystone Law of the UK as the project legal firm, and (iii) Drew Napier LLC of Singapore as legal permitting advisers for SE Asia. Nova Capital Global LLC of New York remains the project’s long-standing financial consultants.

geographic reach and longterm capability, current market interactions indicate that demand is strongest for the core trunk, with the additional branches showing lower levels of identifiable customer interest at this stage. As a result, the full configuration would require further anchorcustomer commitments before a robust funding pathway can be established that is inclusive of the branches. Due to significant changes in the international status quo due resulting inter alia from the conflicts in West Asia, and the subsequent impact on global supply chains, ASN as the system’s Preferred Vendor, have indicated that a price increase is due in late 2026.

ity. The former allows customers the ability to install their own third-party transmission equipment and manage their capacity independently, thus being able to manage both capacity and upgrades without affecting other customers. The Project SPV, SAEx East Global Ltd, will retain responsibility for the subsea infrastructure and the cable’s overall maintenance and operation.

SIML has also established a Project SPV in Mauritius (SAEx East Global Ltd) and set up a subsidiary company in Singapore (SAEx East (SG) Pte Ltd). The latter will evenThe sponsors are also selling optually apply for the FBO license tical “spectrum” capacity on the for SAEx East and seek relevant system, as a dedicated portion approvals from IMDA for landing or percentage of the total optical in the country. Our appointed atbandwidth within a fibre pair. The torneys in the UK have drafted a latter is offered as an alternative comprehensive menu of contractto selling the entire fibre pair or ing documents necessary for sejust fixed capacity (wavelengths). curing landing parties in various As with the select number of jurisdictions as well as ne“dark” fibre pair sales, this “A less complex, direct, mostly gotiating sales contracts. spectrum option will aldeep-water route between Asia and At the same time, we have low a purchaser to “light” Africa, a route offering a politically their spectrum using their procured landing party arrangements in South Afri- neutral and secure pathway with no ter- own chosen transmission ca and have secured sev- restrial crossings and fewer secondary equipment (SLTE). eral prospective offers for The Project is aiming to landings between end points.” LP services in Singapore. reach financial close/CIF Discussions are now proby the end of the third quarter of gressing to finalize the selection SIML is currently defining system 2027, with RFS projected to occur of the LP for Singapore. Through requirements and scope more ~ 40 months later by late 2030 or it’s South African related compa- accurately via a Desk-Top Study early 2031, barring problems with ny, SAEX SA (Pty) Ltd, which owns (DTS). When this is completed, supply side issues emanating the IECNS and IECS licenses, the the implications will be discussed out of the Middle East crises and Project has access to the Permits with customers, partners, and availability of ships. in Principle required to land a ASN. So why the confusion about how subsea cable and operate a netSAEx East will offer a hybrid ‘conlong SAEx East has been in develwork in the country. dominium-style’ business model opment? The historical record... The SAEx East subsea cable sys- to a select number of key custem approach has evolved in re- tomers with an ownership struc- The “SAEx” branding itself has sponse to both market conditions ture that balances the high capital been around for the 15 years. It and funding realities. The most re- requirements of building the sub- began as someone else’s project, cent version of the full subsea ca- marine fibre optic cable system planned to be built only between ble system design, priced by ASN with the need for these custom- South Africa and Brazil and called in 2025, incorporates a complete ers to own and control the fibre the South Atlantic Express or just 12 fibre pair trunk comprised of a pairs that they purchase. In this “SAEx”. number of branches and associ- model, data transit capacity in the Its previous South African ownated landing infrastructure. form of fibre pair sales is providers went into receivership in ed pre-CIF as an IRU for either 2013/14, and SIML Sponsors, havWhile this architecture maximises a “dark” fibre pair, or as lit capac86

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ISSUE 150 ing always understood that the initial project was ill-conceived as a route from “no-where to nowhere”, undertook to secure that project’s intellectual property (IP) and branding in late 2014. A project development company was established in Mauritius in 2015. Between 2015 and 2018, the focus was on scoping and developing the first phase project as “SAEx West”, and to expand its remit from SA to include not just Brazil but also the USA and West Africa. At that time, the total project concept included a route to the East as a second phase.

kind, SAEx East has taken time to gestate, although not the 15 years sometimes attributed to it. In some ways the timing of this process has been fortunate. The project is reaching financial close at a time when geo-political conflicts highlight the importance of a less complex, direct, mostly deep-water route between Asia and Africa, a route offering a politically neutral and secure pathway with no terrestrial crossings and fewer secondary landings between end points. We think the timing is right for a subsea cable of this kind.

But these plans changed radically in 2019 because of market developments triggered by the events around USA-based Seaborn Networks debt restructuring associated with the Seabras-1 system, including Seaborn’s filing in December 2020 for Chapter 11.3 The perceived fall-out in the market from this event, and from the SACS subsea cable pricing problems in the South Atlantic,4 led EU financiers to strongly advise that SAEx West be paused in favour of SAEx East as the first phase of the planned East-West network, arguing that it would then drive traffic onto the westerly system.

REFERENCES

The arguments by financiers were compelling and a decision was made to put SAEx West on the “back-burner” for the time being. In early 2020, SIML began discussing a partnership with PCCWG to collaborate on project development. By December 2020, as noted above, an MOU was concluded between SIML and PCCWG to begin working collaboratively on SAEx East as the new Phase 1. The rest, as they say, is history. Like many large projects of this

[1]

https://www.skao.int/en/explore/telescopes/ska-mid

[2] A funding method for large infrastructure and industrial projects where debt is repaid strictly from the project’s future cash flows rather than the parent company’s balance sheet. [3]

engineeringnews.co.za/article/south-atlantic-cable-system-reports-surging-traffic-2021-10-19)

Rosalind H. Thomas, Ph.D., is Managing Director of SAEx International Management Ltd., sponsor and co-developer of the SAEx Southern Oceans Network submarine cable projects. She has extensive experience in African infrastructure development, project finance and public-private partnerships, including senior roles with the Development Bank of Southern Africa, SADC Development Finance Resource Centre and African Development Bank.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/seaborn-networks-putsu-s-brazil-undersea-cable-inbankruptcy-11577138550

[4] In the 2019 to 2020 period, pricing complaints surrounding the South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) centred primarily on high wholesale transit costs and the de facto monopoly held by its operator, Angola Cables. (https:// freedomhouse.org/country/ angola/freedom-net/2023) Despite the subsea cable’s technological success in nearly halving internet latency between Africa and the Americas, its commercial roll-out faced significant pushback from regional telecommunications players (https://www. MAGAZINE | September 2026

PERMITTING PATHWAYS

HOW JURISDICTIONS SPLIT POWER AND DATA: WHY NA CABLES DIFFERENTLY, WHEN THE INTERNATIONAL LAW By Anjali Sugadev and Michelle Elsa George A telecommunications cable and a telecom and power cables sit on the same side of high-voltage power cable can lie a few it. Any difference in how a country treats the two is therefore a domestic choice layered on top of a metres apart on the same stretch of sea- treaty that sees them as one. bed, laid by similar vessels using similar WHY DOMESTIC REGULATION SPLITS THEM techniques, and yet reach that point on ANYWAY the seabed through entirely separate The divergence begins the moment a cable leaves regulatory worlds. the treaty layer and enters national permitting, and

it is driven by regulatory purpose rather than by anything about the cable itself. A telecom cable is regulated as communications infrastructure, which pulls it toward communications ministries and, increasingly, national-security screening of who owns and controls international data routes. A power cable is regulated as energy infrastructure, which ties AT THE TREATY LEVEL, THEY ARE IDENTI- it to energy security, grid stability, and the authoriCAL ties that oversee electricity transmission. These are The United Nations Convention on the Law of the different public interests, administered by different arms of the state, and the cable inherits whichever Sea (UNCLOS), the international framework governing “These are different public interests, regime matches its cargo. One is treated as communications infrastructure, the other as energy infrastructure. It is tempting to read that split as an accident of bureaucracy. It is not. But the starting point for understanding it is a fact that surprises many: at the level of international law, the two cables are the same thing.

what any State may or may administered by different arms of the This is why the two sectors not do on the seabed, does state, and the cable inherits whichev- barely touch even where not distinguish a telecom their cables share a corrier regime matches its cargo.” cable from a power cable. dor. As a 2026 Spinergie Article 79 grants all States analysis in Offshore Magathe right to lay submarine cables on the continen- zine observed, subsea power and subsea telecom tal shelf. The authoritative UNCLOS Commentary cables serve different markets, operate at different (Nordquist and others) records that the Internation- scales, and have almost no overlap in ownership al Law Commission, in its commentary on its draft or operations. The regulatory separation mirrors an articles, took the reference to cables to apply not industrial separation that is real. A telecom cable only to telegraph and telephone cables but also to carries data whose security and foreign control are high-voltage power cables. In the eyes of the Con- central policy concerns; a power cable carries elecvention, a subsea power cable is simply a cable. tricity whose reliability and grid integration are the Where UNCLOS does draw a sharp line is between concern. Treating them under one regime would cables and pipelines, not between types of cable. force a single authority to hold two quite different Under Article 79(3), the delineation of a pipeline’s sets of expertise, which is part of why no major juroute on the continental shelf requires the coastal risdiction does. State’s consent, while no such consent is required for a cable’s route. The distinction is deliberate and reflects the different environmental consequences of a broken pipeline versus a broken cable. So the one genuine categorical divide in the law of the sea runs between cables and pipelines, and both 88

SUBTEL FORUM | Issue 150

HOW THIS LOOKS IN PRACTICE

The pattern is consistent across several major cable jurisdictions: a shared marine-consent layer for the physical seabed works, and a divergent sector layer that routes telecom and power cables to different

ATIONAL JURISDICTIONS REGULATE TELECOM AND POWER W OF THE SEA DOES NOT Jurisdiction

Telecom cable is regulated as

United Kingdom

Energy infrastructure: electricity Communications infrastructure: interconnector licence under the Code Powers under the CommuElectricity Act 1989, granted by nications Act 2003, plus a marine Ofgem, plus the same marine lilicence for seabed works. cence for seabed works.

United States

No FCC landing licence; consentFCC cable landing licence, with ed through federal agencies such Team Telecom national-security as BOEM, and state energy and review; USACE for navigation and seabed authorities, with USACE seabed impacts. for the marine works.

Australia

Telecommunications Act 1997, administered by the ACMA, with declared cable protection zones and statutory penalties.

Norway

Energy Act 1990: installation liElectronic Communications Act, cence plus a foreign-trade liadministered by Nkom. cence for cross-border electricity, via the Ministry on NVE advice.

regulators above it. In the United Kingdom, a telecom operator needs Code Powers under the Communications Act 2003 and a marine licence under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 for the seabed works. A power interconnector needs the same marine licence, but its sector consent runs through the energy regime, not the communications one: an electricity interconnector licence under the Electricity Act 1989, granted by Ofgem (the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority) and sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The seabed layer is shared; the sector layer diverges. In the United States, the divide is starkest. A telecom cable requires a Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) cable landing licence and passes through Team Telecom national-security review, while the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) regulates the navigation and seabed dimensions. A power cable faces no FCC landing licence at all; it is consented through federal agencies such as the

Power cable is regulated as

Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021: a Transmission and Infrastructure Licence via the Offshore Infrastructure Registrar.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and state energy and seabed authorities. The distinction is precise: the FCC’s cable landing licence is a communications regime, so a power cable’s converter and inverter equipment answers instead to the FCC’s separate, generic equipment-authorization rules for electronic devices, not to the landing regime. Only the landing licence turns on the distinction itself: a telecom cable needs one, a power cable does not. In Australia, the two cables answer to different authorities from the start. A telecom cable is regulated under the Telecommunications Act 1997, administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA): it can declare cable protection zones over routes of national significance, backed by criminal penalties for damaging a cable within them, a regime built around communications cables and widely studied abroad. A power cable travels a separate path: an offshore power cable is treated as electricity transmission infrastructure, licensed unMAGAZINE | September 2026

PERMITTING PATHWAYS

der the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021 through the Offshore Infrastructure Registrar, on a Transmission and Infrastructure Licence granted by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy.

tical fibre into subsea power cables is now routine, used for the temperature and strain sensing that keeps a high-voltage cable within its limits. A hybrid poses the question neither rulebook was written to answer: is it communications or energy infrastrucAcross the EU and the North Sea, member states ture? It is physically both. None of the regimes exroute both cable types through national marine-conamined here contains a distinct category for a hybrid sent regimes for the seabed works, while the sector cable and it remains an open question. In practice layer diverges: telecom through communications classification would likely turn on the cable’s domregulators, power through energy regimes and grid inant purpose - an interconnector with monitoring rules. On the power side, coordination is emerging fibre would read as power, a data cable with a moddirectly among grid operators, as in an April 2026 est power element would read as telecom, but that memorandum between five is not a settled test. And as North Sea transmission sys- “A telecom cable and a power cable offshore grids scale and fitem operators, while tele- crossing the same point face identical bre is designed into more com cables continue to be power cables, a developer regulated member state by questions of separation, protection, and repair access, and there the di- might have to expect the member state. least regulatory certainty. vergent regimes offer little help.” In Norway, the divergence DIVIDED ABOVE, ENruns through separate statTANGLED BELOW utes and regulators. A telecom cable falls under the Electronic Communications Act 2003, administered Above the seabed the regulatory regimes are rightby Nkom. A power interconnector is governed by ly divided, below it the cables are physically enthe Energy Act 1990, requiring an installation licence tangled. The separation in rulebooks is defensible and a foreign trade licence for cross-border elec- where it reflects genuinely different public intertricity exchange, granted by the Ministry of Energy ests: the security screening matters for a data cable on the advice of the Norwegian Water Resources while the grid-stability oversight matters for a power and Energy Directorate. That energy-trade licence cable, and a single merged regulator would serve is a live constraint: in March 2023 the Ministry of Pe- neither well. The friction appears one layer down, troleum and Energy refused a licence for the North- on the physical seabed, where purpose stops matConnect cable to the United Kingdom, concluding tering and physical layout takes over. that Norway should not plan for further power exports for the time being. A telecom cable faces no A telecom cable and a power cable crossing the same point face identical questions of separation, equivalent energy-trade gate. protection, and repair access, and there the diverTHE SPLIT AT A GLANCE gent regimes offer little help. The clearest case is a The table maps the divergence across the major ju- physical crossing, where a data cable and a powrisdictions. It describes how each regulates the two er cable must pass over each other on the seabed: neither regulator governs the crossing, which is cable types. instead settled by a private agreement between A NOTE ON HYBRID CABLES the two asset owners, following ICPC crossing One case breaks the two-regime split entirely: the recommendations. The fix is not to merge the two hybrid cable carrying power and data in a single as- rulebooks, which would flatten distinctions that desembly. These are not hypothetical, Sumitomo Elec- serve to exist, but to coordinate at the seabed layer: tric first built as early as 1970s, and integrating op- shared marine spatial planning that maps both ca90

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ble types, and the early cross-sector engagement the ICPC has long urged.

to-power-what-subsea-cable-history-tells-usabout-the-offshore-grids-next-decade

That coordination is already emerging where it matters, operationally: in 2019 Ørsted became the first renewable-energy member of the Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement, a telecom repair zone, and the 2026 North Sea memorandum is the power sector building its own equivalent. The law of the sea already treats these cables as one object. Domestic regulation is right to split them by purpose, and wrong only if it pretends the split reaches the physical dynamics on the seabed, where it does not. The hybrid cable, power and data in one line, is simply the point where that truth becomes impossible to ignore.

UK Code Powers, marine licensing, and ICPC crossing guidance as industry practice (Bratby Law, Subsea Cables): https://bratby.law/practice-areas/transactions/subsea-cables/

SOURCES UNCLOS 1982, Article 79, right to lay submarine cables on the continental shelf (UN DOALOS, official text): https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_ agreements/texts/unclos/closindx.htm UNCLOS Commentary confirming “cables” includes high-voltage power cables, quoting the International Law Commission (Nordquist et al., Virginia Commentary, via Springer): h t t p s : / / l i n k . s p r i n g e r. c o m / c h a p ter/10.1007/978-981-16-3436-9_1 “Cables” includes high-voltage power cables; UNCLOS Article 79 cable/pipeline distinction (NOAA Office of General Counsel, Submarine Cables – International Framework): https://www. noaa.gov/general-counsel/gc-international-section/submarine-cables-international-framework Cable versus pipeline consent distinction under Article 79(3) (Submarine Networks, The Law of the Sea and Subsea Cables, 2026): https://www. submarinenetworks.com/en/nv/insights/thelaw-of-the-sea-and-subsea-cables-unclos Telecom and power sector separation, and Orsted’s ACMA membership (Hélia Briaud, Spinergie, in Offshore Magazine, 11 August 2026): https:// www.offshore-mag.com/renewable-energy/ article/55397372/spinergie-from-telecom-

US FCC cable landing licence, Team Telecom, and USACE roles (Congressional Research Service R47648, 2023): https://crsreports.congress. gov/product/pdf/R/R47648 UK electricity interconnector licence under section 6(1) (e) Electricity Act 1989, granted by Ofgem/GEMA (Ofgem, Cronos interconnector grant notice): https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ cronos-energy-ltd-notice-grant-electricity-interconnector-licence UK offshore energy consenting regimes, DESNZ, Planning Act 2008 and section 36 (Norton Rose Fulbright, Consenting Your Energy Project): https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/ knowledge/publications/4d38fe60/consenting-your-energy-project-which-regime-applies US BOEM authority over OCS renewable-energy transmission cables (FCC, Activities Related to Undersea Cables): https://www.fcc.gov/activities-related-undersea-cables ICPC Recommendation No. 3 (telecom / power / pipeline crossing) and No. 13 (offshore wind proximity): https://www.iscpc.org/publications/ recommendations/ North Sea TSO coordination MoU, April 2026 (offshoreWIND.biz): https://www.offshorewind. biz/2026/04/23/five-european-tsos-launchjoint-initiative-on-north-sea-offshore-cable-infrastructure/ FCC Part 15 equipment authorization and exemptions for power-system control equipment (FCC KDB 784748): https://apps.fcc.gov/kdb/GetAttachment.html?id=aPHDD74GRH5N2s050fBjxA%3D%3D Hybrid subsea power-and-fibre cables and integratMAGAZINE | September 2026

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ed optical fibre in power cables (Hexatronic, 2026): https://www.hexatronic.com/en/blog/ integrated-optical-fiber-for-subsea-power-cables Offshore Infrastructure Registrar, licensing under the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021 (NOPTA): https://www.nopta.gov.au/offshoreregistrar. html Australian Government opens applications for OEI Transmission and Infrastructure Licences (Offshore Infrastructure Registrar): https://www.oir.gov.au/blog/australian-government-opens-applications-oei-transmission-and-infrastructure-licences Norwegian Electronic Communications Act (Ekom Act), administered by Nkom (Nkom, unofficial English translation): https://nkom.no/english/guidelines-for-providers Norway Energy Act interconnector licensing, Sections 3-1 and 4-2, and the 2016 amendment (Chambers and Partners): https://chambers. com/articles/introducing-private-interconnectors NorthConnect licence refusal on energy-policy grounds, March 2023 (Offshore Energy): h t t p s : / / w w w. o f f s h o r e - e n e r g y. b i z / n o r way-uk-interconnector-hits-a-snag-with-license-application-refusal/ Integrated optical fibre and hybrid power-and-data subsea cables (Hexatronic, 2026): https://www. hexatronic.com/en/blog/integrated-optical-fiber-for-subsea-power-cables Anjali Sugadev | anjali@oceanjuris.com

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Anjali Sugadev is Co-Founder and CEO at OceanJuris. With over 12 years of experience, she is specialized on subsea cable permitting across multiple jurisdictions. She holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from the National University of Singapore and is an ICPC Rhodes Academy Award recipient and widely published researcher in international subsea cable regulations. Her work spans regulatory, permitting, and policy advisory serving the global subsea cable sector. Michelle George is a Grade 12 student who has assisted with research for this piece. She has spent over two years following how subsea cable law and regulation differ across jurisdictions.

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MAGAZINE | September 2026

FAULT LINES GEOPOLITICAL UPDATE: JULY - SEPTEMBER 2026 by Kristian Nielsen The last edition of Fault Lines described a submarine cable industry learning to operate inside geopolitical disruption rather than merely prepare for it. Developments since early July move that argument another step forward. Governments are no longer limiting their response to policy statements or resilience funding. They are intervening directly in the security, ownership, equipment, routing, and operation of subsea infrastructure. In Europe, Western officials now describe an operation that actively disrupted suspected Russian training against undersea cables. In the United States, new FCC rules extend national-security scrutiny to submarine line terminal equipment and supply chains. Taiwan continues to manage overlapping cable faults with repair windows extending into the fourth quarter, while two faults inside an Australian cable protection zone demonstrate the limits of regulatory protection alone. In the Persian Gulf, reporting that Iran has considered cable sabotage as an escalation option moves the risk discussion closer to deliberate targeting. The common thread is increasingly clear: resilience now depends not simply on redundant capacity, but on whether infrastructure remains accessible, repairable, and politically usable when conditions deteriorate.

SPECIAL FOCUS: RED SEA - BAB EL-MANDEB MOVES BACK TO THE CENTER OF THE RISK MAP The Red Sea risk picture changed sharply over the weekend. Houthi forces captured the Yemeni port of Mokha on 10 September and subsequently took Mayun, or Perim, Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. By 14 September, Associated Press was also reporting Houthi control of the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands farther north in the Red Sea. Fighting has been accompanied by missile and drone attacks against Saudi targets, including energy infrastructure, while Saudi-backed forces have responded 94

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with strikes of their own (Associated Press, 2026a, 2026b; Nakhoul, 2026). For the submarine cable industry, the importance of these developments is geographic. Bab el-Mandeb is the southern gateway to the Red Sea and therefore to one of the world’s most concentrated Europe–Asia telecommunications corridors. Numerous systems ultimately depend on the Red Sea–Egypt route, while projects including 2Africa, Africa-1, Raman, and SEA-ME-WE-6 have already faced deployment difficulties associated with security and permitting around Yemen. TeleGeography has previously noted that repairs to AAE-1, EIG, and SEACOM/TGN-Eurasia following their 2024 Red Sea faults were delayed for approximately five months because cable ships could not safely enter the area. That precedent is now more important than the question of whether another cable has physically failed. As of 14 September, there is no confirmed public report of a new submarine telecommunications cable cut associated with the weekend’s fighting. The immediate concern is operational access. A fault occurring south of the Red Sea under current conditions could face a significantly more difficult repair environment involving vessel security, warrisk insurance, permitting, crew safety, and potentially military coordination. The situation also compounds an already difficult construction market. In June, industry reporting indicated that Red Sea and Gulf projects, including portions of 2Africa and SEA-ME-WE-6, remained delayed because security conditions made normal marine operations difficult to resume. The Houthi advance toward and into Bab el-Mandeb makes an early normalization of that environment considerably harder to assume (Financial Times, 2026). The strategic implication is that the Red Sea has moved from being a high-risk transit corridor to something closer to a contested operating area. That distinction matters. Traffic can usually be rerouted around a cable fault; cable ships cannot be rerouted around the location of the fault they have been dispatched to repair.

For cable owners, planners, and maintenance authorities, Bab el-Mandeb therefore deserves renewed attention not because a major system has necessarily failed, but because the ability to restore one may now be considerably less certain.

EUROPE Europe’s cable-security posture is becoming more active. On 10 September, Reuters reported that British, Norwegian, and U.S. forces had tracked and confronted Russian submarines near Svalbard during a spring exercise involving Russia’s GUGI undersea warfare directorate. According to two Western officials cited by Reuters, deep-sea submersibles were simulating deployment of technology intended to disable critical undersea cables without obvious attribution. The Russian vessels reportedly left before completing the exercise, and no cable was damaged (McFarlane & Slattery, 2026).

chokepoints.

INDO-PACIFIC AND TAIWAN Taiwan illustrates the strain of overlapping faults. On 3 September, its Ministry of Digital Affairs reported further TDM2 damage near Dongyin in July, SJC2 faults near Singapore and Hong Kong in July and August, and EAC1 damage in late August. Repairs extend into October–December, subject to cable-ship availability and weather (Ministry of Digital Affairs, 2026). Australia offered another warning when two SUBCO cables off Perth developed faults inside a federally designated Submarine Cable Protection Zone. Federal police were assessing a report of crime, but no cause had been publicly established (Stowers & Wynne, 2026). Protection zones regulate maritime activity; they cannot eliminate vulnerability or replace monitoring and restoration capability.

The significance is less Geopolitical competition the alleged technology “Traffic can usually be rerouted around also shapes new capacithan the response. Euro- a cable fault; cable ships cannot be rety. Lightstorm, Microsoft, pean cable protection is routed around the location of the fault Singtel, and Tata Commumoving beyond surveil- they have been dispatched to repair.” nications began I-2SEA lance toward deterrence construction in July, and intervention. At the linking India, Malaysia, and Singapore to serve AI same time, the European Commission is institutionand hyperscale demand (Lightstorm, 2026). China alizing its regulatory response. A July tender speMobile launched SEA-H2X that month, connectcifically calls for monitoring implementation of the ing Hainan and Hong Kong with the Philippines, 2026 Cable Security Toolbox, updating European Thailand, and Singapore (China Mobile Internacable mapping and risk assessments, and supporttional, 2026). September’s Australia-, Japan-, and ing Cable Projects of European Interest through U.S.-backed East Micronesia Cable completed in2027 (European Commission, 2026). ternational submarine connectivity for every PacifRoute diversification is developing in parallel. Be- ic Islands Forum member (Australian Minister for tween 24 July and 10 August, the Oden icebreaker Foreign Affairs, 2026). Capacity is expanding, but conducted seabed surveys for Polar Connect, the its financing, ownership, and operation increasingly proposed Arctic system connecting Europe, North carry geopolitical weight. America, and Asia. The initiative explicitly presents MIDDLE EAST the Arctic as an alternative to heavily used and increasingly vulnerable Europe–Asia routes (Swed- The previous edition focused on installation delays ish Polar Research Secretariat, 2026). Europe is and the difficulty of working through the Red Sea therefore pursuing both sides of resilience simul- and Strait of Hormuz. The risk picture is now more taneously: protecting existing infrastructure and in- explicit. vestigating routes that reduce exposure to current MAGAZINE | September 2026

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In August, The Wall Street Journal reported that Iranian officials and regional intelligence sources described several escalation options being considered by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, including possible sabotage of internet cables in the Persian Gulf. The reporting does not establish that such an attack has occurred, but its inclusion among potential escalation measures matters for an industry already managing severe access and security constraints in the region (Faucon & Said, 2026). This changes the planning assumption. Cable systems in the Gulf have historically faced geopolitical risk largely through collateral effects: restricted navigation, insurance costs, permitting delays, vessel availability, or broader conflict. Deliberate targeting being discussed as an instrument of escalation introduces a different level of exposure. Operators still need to distinguish clearly between demonstrated threats and unverified attribution, but Hormuz can no longer be treated simply as a difficult marine corridor. It is increasingly a strategic dependency whose political risk must be designed into network architecture.

NORTH AMERICA The United States is turning “trusted infrastructure” into regulation. Published on 27 July, the FCC’s Second Report and Order has significant provisions taking effect on 25 September. It extends licensing oversight to submarine line terminal equipment owners and operators, requires cybersecurity and physical-security plans, and introduces foreign-adversary reporting and certification requirements (Federal Communications Commission, 2026). The order also restricts foreign-adversary-controlled equipment and certain Covered List service and capacity arrangements. Applications meeting ten national-security standards can avoid routine Executive Branch referral (Federal Communications Commission, 2026). Geopolitics now shapes more than route selection and public funding. It directly influences equipment, vendors, customers, ownership, and licensing. 96

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INDUSTRY OPERATIONS Operational resilience remains a shared constraint. In late August, Vietnam faced simultaneous faults on SJC2, AAE-1, AAG, and IA, forcing operators to manage international traffic while repairs remained pending (Dat, 2026). Alongside Taiwan’s repair backlog and the Perth incidents, these failures highlight the cumulative burden on route diversity, restoration options, and repair capacity. Access restrictions, insurance limitations, and security requirements add further pressure. Repairability is therefore a critical measure of network quality. A geographically diverse route offers limited resilience if vessels cannot reach it, permits are delayed, or spare capacity is already committed. Protection zones, sensing technologies, and government coordination help, but cannot replace the ability to restore the physical network.

CONCLUSION Submarine cable risk increasingly depends on conditions in surrounding waters as much as on the cable itself. Europe is treating subsea protection as an active security mission, while the United States is embedding national-security considerations into cable licensing, equipment, and ownership. Taiwan illustrates the strain of overlapping faults and limited repair capacity. In the Red Sea, Houthi gains around Bab el-Mandeb and the Hanish Islands renew pressure on a corridor already facing vessel-security concerns and delayed cable work. Further attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure underscore the conflict’s wider reach (Associated Press, 2026a, 2026b). No new telecommunications cable failure has been confirmed as attributable to the fighting. Yet resilience depends on the ability to install, maintain, and repair systems. Vessel access, crew safety, insurance, permitting, and government coordination can matter as much as the cable’s physical condition.

The industry’s challenge therefore extends beyond redundancy to recoverability. Diverse routes remain essential, but they must remain accessible as security conditions deteriorate. By September 2026, the Red Sea makes that distinction clear: redundancy on paper offers limited protection when repair vessels cannot safely reach a fault. Actual resilience requires both alternative paths and the ability to restore service.

REFERENCES Associated Press. (2026, September 10). Houthis seize strategic Red Sea port in Yemen, and other Mideast developments. Associated Press. (2026, September 14). Houthis seize 2 strategic Red Sea islands, and other Mideast developments. Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs. (2026, September 1). Landmark six-nation partnership delivers East Micronesia Cable. Australian Government. China Mobile International. (2026, July 22). China Mobile-led and invested SEA-H2X international submarine cable project launches commercially, paving the way for digital and intelligent interconnectivity in Asia-Pacific. PR Newswire. Dat, T. (2026, August 27). 4th undersea cable failure disrupts Vietnam Internet services. VnExpress International. European Commission. (2026, July 17). Support for EU policy on security submarine cable infrastructure 2026–2027 (renewable). Shaping Europe’s Digital Future. Faucon, B., & Said, S. (2026, August 16). Iran’s secret plan to escalate the war. The Wall Street Journal. Federal Communications Commission. (2026, July 27). Review of submarine cable landing license rules and procedures to assess evolving national security, law enforcement, foreign policy, and trade policy risks. Federal Register, 91, 46844–

46866. Financial Times. (2026, June 25). Stalled subsea cable projects threaten Middle East digital ambitions. Lightstorm. (2026, July 2). Lightstorm, Microsoft, Singtel and Tata Communications launch the build of India-Southeast Asia (I-2SEA) submarine cable system. McFarlane, S., & Slattery, G. (2026, September 10). NATO allies foil Russian subsea cable sabotage plot. Reuters. Ministry of Digital Affairs. (2026, September 3). Latest submarine cable status. Government of Taiwan. Nakhoul, S. (2026, September 13). Houthis’ Yemen advance leaves Gulf states with uncomfortable choice. Reuters. Stowers, R., & Wynne, E. (2026, August 11). Two subsea communication cables damaged off Perth coast in “concerning development”. ABC News. Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. (2026). Polar Connect 2026. Kristian Nielsen is based in the main WFN Strategies office in Ashburn, Virginia USA. He has more than 18 years’ experience and knowledge in submarine cable systems, including Arctic and offshore Oil & Gas submarine fiber systems. As Chief Revenue Officer, he supports the Projects and Technical Directors, and reviews subcontracts and monitors the prime contractor and suppliers 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, provides project logistics and engineering support, has an extensive background in administrative and commercial support and is an expert in due diligence.

MAGAZINE | September 2026

LEGAL & REGULATORY MATTERS CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUBMARINE CABLES: THREE IMMEDIATE CHALLENGES By Andrés Fígoli Climate change is no longer an abstract or distant issue. Its effects are increasingly visible in everyday life. Even in Geneva, Switzerland, far from any ocean, long-term residents can observe how Mont Blanc has less snow cover today than it did two decades ago. If such changes are evident inland, their impact on coastal and marine environments — where submarine cable infrastructure is located — is even more significant. Focusing on their regulatory and legal implications, this article highlights three immediate climate-related challenges affecting submarine cables that are particularly relevant to Latin America and other emerging regions.

event — such as a storm surge, flood, or coastal landslide — may be sufficient to disrupt connectivity for an entire country for hours, days, or even longer, especially where redundancy is limited. From a regulatory perspective, however, this evolving risk is not always adequately captured as addressed in the Report of Working Group 3, Fostering Connectivity & Geographic Diversity, of the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience (ITU-ICPC)1. Cable landing permits are typically granted on the basis of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), which traditionally focus on the impact of the infrastructure on the surrounding environment. In many cases, they do not fully address the inverse scenario: the impact of environmental change — particularly climate-driven coastal dynamics — on the integrity and resilience of the infrastructure itself.

1. COASTAL EROSION: A DIRECT THREAT In some jurisdictions, these risks are considered TO CABLE INTEGRITY AND NATIONAL CONthrough separate mechanisms, such as critical infraNECTIVITY structure protection frameworks or they remain only

One of the most visi- “As extreme weather events become more partially addressed or are systematically incorble effects of climate frequent and predictable, their character- not porated into regulatory change is accelerated coastal erosion, driv- ization as force majeure may no longer be oversight. This creates a structural gap, as subsea en by sea-level rise, sustainable in certain cases.” infrastructure approved stronger storm surges, and changes in sediment dynamics. For submarine under past environmental assumptions may no loncables, this translates into immediate operational ger be aligned with current or future risk conditions. challenges, particularly in the shore-end segment, Notably, many cables deployed during the boom of where cables are most vulnerable. The gradual the early 2000s were designed under climate asloss of sediment reduces burial protection, leaving sumptions that did not anticipate the scale or speed cables exposed to mechanical stress and to exter- of today’s environmental changes. nal aggression from anchors, fishing activity, and As coastal erosion accelerates, operators may find even opportunistic individuals searching for copper themselves in a complex position. On the one hand, during low tides. they are expected to ensure continuity of telecomThis situation becomes particularly critical in coun- munications services and maintain the integrity of tries where international connectivity depends on a their systems. On the other hand, they may face limited number of landing stations. In parts of Lat- regulatory uncertainty regarding the extent to which in America and in Small Island Developing States they are required — or even permitted — to proac(SIDS), cable landing stations are often located in tively adapt their infrastructure to evolving coastal low-lying coastal areas, frequently below 10 metres risks. above sea level. In such contexts, a single extreme Therefore, there is a clear need for regulatory ad98

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aptation. Incorporating periodic reassessment of climate-related risks into existing frameworks — whether through updated EIAs, renewal processes, or integration into national critical infrastructure monitoring systems — is becoming increasingly necessary. At the same time, regulatory frameworks should provide sufficient flexibility to allow timely implementation of resilience measures, ensuring that submarine cable systems can continue to support national and global connectivity in a rapidly changing coastal environment.

2. INCREASING STORM INTENSITY: FROM FORCE MAJEURE TO FORESEEABLE RISK Climate change is also increasing the frequency and intensity of storms, and this phenomenon is no longer confined to traditional hurricane or typhoon zones. Countries historically located outside major cyclone corridors are now experiencing more frequent and intense extra-tropical storms, with wind speeds exceeding 100 km/h. These evolving weather patterns are challenging long-standing assumptions about infrastructure design and resilience. As a result, infrastructure that was not originally engineered to withstand such conditions must now be reassessed and, in many cases, reinforced. For submarine cable systems, storms can have a direct and immediate impact on landing stations and associated terrestrial infrastructure. This includes structural damage to buildings, such as roofs and support elements, as well as flooding, power outages, and disruption of backhaul connectivity. Even when the wet plant remains intact, these failures can lead to service interruptions with significant operational consequences. This is the point at which climate change transitions from an operational issue into a contractual and legal one. When cable owners commercialize capacity services, they typically commit to defined service levels through Service Level Agreements (SLAs). In the event of outages, clients — particularly wholesale customers — may seek compensation or invoke contractual remedies, including termination rights if the disruption extends beyond a specified MAGAZINE | September 2026

period. Traditionally, such events would fall within the scope of force majeure clauses, shielding operators from liability where events are considered unforeseeable and beyond their control. However, as extreme weather events become more frequent and predictable, their characterization as force majeure may no longer be sustainable in certain cases. There is a growing risk that courts and arbitral tribunals will increasingly treat certain climate-related events as foreseeable, particularly where there is clear evidence of evolving weather patterns over time. Under this approach, cable owners would be expected to take reasonable steps to adapt their infrastructure to these risks, including reinforcing structures, enhancing flood protection, or repositioning vulnerable segments of their systems. Failure to do such may expose operators to claims for damages from their customers, on the basis that the disruption was not truly unforeseeable and could have been mitigated. From a regulatory standpoint, there is an increasing case for establishing minimum resilience standards for critical telecommunications infrastructure, requiring operators to incorporate climate risk into the design, maintenance and upgrading of their systems. In practice, such standards could supersede — or at least significantly influence — the interpretation of contractual limitations of liability, particularly where overriding public interest considerations, such as national connectivity and service continuity, are at stake.

3. SUSTAINABLE CABLE LANDING STATIONS: BALANCING RESILIENCE AND CLIMATE OBJECTIVES Alongside the physical impacts of climate change, a more subtle but increasingly relevant transformation is taking place in the way submarine cable landing stations are powered. The growing emphasis on sustainability, combined with rising energy costs and the need for greater operational resilience, is driving the integration of renewable energy sys100

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tems — particularly photovoltaic solar installations — into cable infrastructure. In many regions, especially where electricity costs are high or grid reliability is uncertain, operators are incorporating solar panels together with battery storage and backup generators, creating hybrid energy systems capable of supporting continuous operations. This shift is not only motivated by environmental considerations, but also by economic and strategic factors, including the reduction of operating expenses and increased energy autonomy. At the same time, governments in various jurisdictions are promoting the adoption of renewable energy through incentives such as subsidies, tax benefits and preferential regulatory treatment. Cable landing stations, as energy-intensive facilities, are natural candidates to benefit from these schemes. However, participation in such programmes often entails compliance with specific regulatory requirements, including technical standards, reporting obligations and eligibility conditions that may not have traditionally applied to telecommunications infrastructure. As a result, landing stations are gradually evolving beyond their original function and, in some cases, may be subject to an additional layer of regulation associated with energy generation. This may include permitting requirements, grid interconnection rules and environmental compliance obligations. The convergence of telecommunications and energy regulation introduces new complexity, requiring operators to comply with overlapping regulatory frameworks that were not originally designed to interact. Submarine cable systems are critical infrastructure, and their operation depends on uninterrupted power supply. While renewable energy systems can enhance resilience by reducing dependence on unstable grids, they may also introduce new risks if not properly designed and integrated. The intermittent nature of solar generation, for example, requires robust storage and backup solutions to ensure continuity of service.

In this context, the integration of renewable energy must be carefully aligned with the operator’s contractual obligations. Cable owners remain bound by service level commitments and any failure in power systems that leads to service disruption may give rise to liability towards customers. This creates a need to balance sustainability objectives with reliability requirements, ensuring that environmental improvements do not inadvertently compromise service continuity.

FINAL REMARKS Climate change is no longer a future risk for submarine cable systems, but a present reality with direct operational and legal implications. Coastal erosion, increasing storm intensity, and the transition towards renewable energy are already affecting infrastructure integrity, service continuity and regulatory frameworks. These challenges reveal a growing gap between the environmental conditions under which cables were originally designed and permitted, and the dynamic risks they now face. At the same time, the distinction between unforeseeable events and manageable risks is becoming increasingly blurred. What was traditionally treated as force majeure may, in certain cases, now be considered foreseeable, with corresponding implications for liability, contractual obligations and the duty of operators to adapt their infrastructure. This shift places pressure not only on cable owners, but also on regulators, who must ensure that existing frameworks remain fit for purpose in a changing climate. Addressing these challenges will require regulatory adaptation, including the incorporation of climate risk into permitting, the establishment of minimum resilience standards, and greater flexibility to enable timely infrastructure upgrades. Ultimately, ensuring the resilience of submarine cables is essential to safeguarding national connectivity and the global digital economy in an increasingly uncertain environmental context. At the same time, if governments expect submarine MAGAZINE | September 2026

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cable owner to invest in climate resilience, such requirements should be accompanied by credible and measurable public commitments to climate action. Instruments such as sustainability-linked sovereign bonds2 provide one indication that environmental objectives are backed by accountability mechanisms and tangible incentives, reducing the risk that climate commitments remain merely aspirational or exist only on paper.

REFERENCES [1] International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience (ITU-ICPC), IAB Report of the Working Groups 2026, 10 July 2026. Available at: https:// www.itu.int/digital-resilience/submarine-cables/ iab-working-groups/ [2]

See: Uruguay´s Sovereign Sustainability-Linked Bond (SSLB) 2026 Annual Report. Available at: https://www.mef.gub.uy/innovaportal/file/32220/1/sslb-4th-annual-reportmay-2026.pdf

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Andrés Fígoli is the author of the two-volume book “Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Telecommunication Submarine Cables” and is the director of Fígoli Consulting, where he provides legal and regulatory advice on all aspects of subsea cable work. 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 more than 20 years in a major wholesale telecommunication company. He also served as Director and Member of the Executive Committee of the International Cable Protection Committee (2015-2023).

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BACK REFLECTION DEAR DEREK By Philip Pilgrim Unfortunately, Janet’s and my field trips have been curtailed greatly over the past few years, as you know. Our last excursion was in the summer of 2024 when all of us were in fine form. As promised, here is an update of our recent subsea archeological explorations on this side of the pond. I fondly remember in 2021 when you first contacted me about an STF article, and we found that we were perhaps the only two fools beachcombing our respective Irish and Canadian shores researching old telegraph cables. Since then, we always joked we were brothers! I also remember the day, just over 20 years prior, when we first met in the fall of 2000 in the Clonshaugh, Dublin cable station. You were keen to explore synergy of the new company (360Networks) with BT. Though we lost touch after the dot-com bust up, we followed similar paths. Since we last spoke, on August 19th, when I was keen to let you know a new field trip was planned and I was seeking your expert guidance on exploring the 1874/75 DUST submarine cable landing site here in Nova Scotia, I am sad to report that I came up empty! I will continue our quest. I owe this to you as you found the Irish end, and this had caused us great confusion since the cable you found coming out of the beach in Ballinskelligs did not match the description in historical documents. If you recall, we then contacted the Rye, N.J. Historical Society to show us a sample of the USA end, and their cable caused even more confusion being different yet again. MURPHY! This nerdy work has always been fun and having your expert, and ever enthusiastic input, has kept us moving in the right direction. I was so hopeful to find the ends of the Irish segment and the USA segment that both landed here at the regen site in Torbay to solve the mystery and to give you some good news. You would be delighted to know that on August 25th, Janet and I spent a beautiful day at the 1874/75 Torbay landing site. It was blistering hot. Janet enjoyed 104

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sun on the beach with the fresh sea breeze (and beers eh) while yours truly tromped in the nearby bogs, and scrubby trees searching with my metal detector and GPS enjoying hundreds of mosquito bites. I wished you were there and we thought of you the whole time. I was saddened to read the Dublin news the next day. Your passing was a shock to both Janet and I. You were, and are, and will always be, in our thoughts and in our prayers over the whole trip and lives. We prayed for your soul the whole trip and visited a special shrine in Mabou where we lit a candle in your honour. How I wish I could be updating you over a Teams meeting as we always did after our explorations rather than this way. This one-sided communication surely misses your wit and colourful commentary. I can hear your voice now: ”Fec-off* Philip and stop being so soggy, tell me more news of your trip and more importantly, how’s Janet?”. I looked at your online condolences and was delighted to see how your impact and support reached hundreds (perhaps thousands) of others! How the heck did you have the energy to do so much? You touched so many people, mentored, taught, researched, wrote, gave expert talks, and worked on your PHd all at the same time! Let’s not forget the countless cable sample displays you provided to museums, institutes, organizations, and people of honour worldwide. I remember chatting just over a month ago when you were driving back from your presentation and your yearly telegraph demonstration with Newfoundland marking Valentia’s 160th Atlantic Cable Anniversary. We discussed the new cables that David Howard gave you….how you had so many irons in fires…impressive…as a friend from Kildare says… you have legs of steel! Ok, I hear you: “Stop talking about me and tell me more of your trip!” After exploring Torbay, we took a short trip to nearby Canso and Dover (1881-1923 Atlantic Cables). You will love what they did at the Canso Cable station at Hazel Hill. Although they demolished the

inevitably lead to another field trip…mosquitos and bears…yipeee!

August 25, 2026 View from Torbay looking Northeast towards Derek in Ireland

historic building, the robust stone-block basement structure remains and is now turned into a beautiful and peaceful outdoor open-air museum. We visited at sundown and thoroughly enjoyed it. On the north wall, there were 13 submarine cables coming out of wall conduit that you would have loved to identify! Many went to Ireland and I have no clue as to each…. you know my interests were with the very early cables….I am grateful you had the brains to sort out the complexities of the later cables after they re-laid the cables to new locations and spliced in new repair and upgrade sections. It is all very confusing and poorly documented. I remember you schooling me on the colossal double armoured shore ends of the 1866 transatlantic cable being reused on the 1880 transatlantic cable.

Well, that is all we have to report on this latest excursion. I will continue our research and will one day hopefully be able to update you face-to-face. God Bless my good friend! Philip & Janet The great submarine telegraph cable operator/ historian Henry Francis Shortis wrote the following about the passing of a superb telegraph repairer, and it is so fitting for you: Derek Cassidy the dayen of Telegraph Researchers, fortified with rites of Holy Church, had passed peacefully trustfully into the arms of his Creator, whose call to render an account of the inestimable gift of a truly Christian life, was obeyed with the same spirit of submissions that actuated him throughout. His many sterling qualities and kindliness of heart endeared him to a wide circle of friends, while in his family life he was a most devoted husband and father.

How I wish you could have visited Nova Scotia and we would have shown the cables running in the forests and through the lakes to that Hazel Hill CLS! Again, you would have been able to identify most if not all….including a strange telecothene cable (Polyethylene trade name that replaced Gutta Percha after ~ 1938). How this ended up in Canso is another mystery as the last documented cables to land there were in the 1920’s. It was clearly an upgrade. We did not have the energy to visit our favourite, but distant, cable landing site in Cape North (Aspy Bay 1856-1866) but we did visit the Lloyd’s cove site (1867-1956) and found two cables coming out of the sand. One was a dual core! The metal detector showed that many more were under the beach. We also had a quick look around Port Hood and found a modern terrestrial path that seems to align with the long lost 1856 terrestrial telegraph line constructed for the 1858 Atlantic Cable system’s backhaul to NYC. This reconnaissance finding will

Nail at Torbay 1875 Cable Station Ruins

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Region between Beach & Torbay Cable Station (and cable detector)

Brick at Torbay 1875 Cable Station Ruins

Projected Faraday Station on Ruin Locations (looking North)

Derek’s Irish End of 1874 DUST Cable (Ballinskelligs)

Faraday Station 1875 (first Atlantic Cable to land on mainland) looking South

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Hazel Hill Cable Station (Canso, Nova Scotia)

Entrance Conduit Hazel Hill CLS Basement Wall (13 cables)

Cable Route South to Dover (through lake) Hazel Hill

Unknown Multi-Conductor Hazel Hill

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BACK REFLECTION ASK THE EXPERT Question for the author(s)? Click here!

ADDENDUM: Derek and I had together researched many other items. His local knowledge of Irish waters will dearly be missed. His recent involvement in modern cables through is BT work translated well to understanding the paths, landings, challenges, laying and locating the routes of historical cables. He knew the coastline of Ireland like the back of his hand and the Irish Sea even more so. We had many geeky discussions over this and I remember well. Temperature gradients, bottom sand drifting, ideal cable routes, ideal armouring, etc. We even agreed to collaborate and write a cable operator’s handbook based on putting our heads and experiences together.

Philip Pilgrim is Subsea Business Development Leader for Nokia’s North American region and is marking 30 years in the subsea sector. Based in Nova Scotia, Canada, he brings extensive industry experience alongside a personal passion for subsea archaeology, including researching and locating historic submarine cable and telegraph routes and related infrastructure.

Through my research on North American cable history, I developed search techniques and repositories for finding obscure maps and data online. When Derek would raise a particular area of interest/mystery in his patch, I would use these techniques and bombard him with piles of data…some of which were new for him and he was always appreciative and delighted. Recent topics close to his heart were: Sunnyside, Newfoundland Historical Recognition (1858 Atlantic Cable,168 years ago), 185x Ireland-England Cables, and the 1862 Blackwater Cable. With respect to our Blackwater research (and Derek dragging his lovely wife Miriam there to search the coast), in July, I had suggested Derek write about it for STF but alas, he was so busy with more important items that it was put on the backburner. I’ll complete the mission in 2027.

Unknown Telegraph Cable Lloyd’s Cove Nova Scotia

* Fec is a condensed form of Saint Féchín of Fore (665) and early Irish saint. My past boss, Stephen Lentz, dubbed Saint Féchín to be the Patron Saint of Submarine Cables. (His humor clearly stems from listening to Shane MacGowan.)

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1865 & 1866 Cable Samples on Valentia Slate by Derek Cassidy

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ON THE MOVE ON THE MOVE

SubTel Forum’s On the Move highlights notable leadership appointments, promotions, and career developments across the global submarine cable and digital infrastructure industry. This edition features several industry professionals taking on expanded roles at organizations shaping the development, deployment, and operation of critical global communications infrastructure. Maurizio Mollano has been promoted to Global Technical Marine Lead at Google, expanding his leadership role in the company’s global submarine cable infrastructure program.

William “Bill” Barney has been promoted to Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors at Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) and hired as Senior Advisor at EQT Group.

Francisco (Frank) J. M. Rey has been promoted to Vice President of Global Network Infrastructure at Azure Networking. Rey will continue to help lead the development and operation of Microsoft Azure’s global network infrastructure. Maarten Büchli has joined Microsoft as General Manager, Network Infrastructure, Americas. In his new role, he will lead network infrastructure activities across the Americas for Microsoft.

These appointments reflect the continued evolution of leadership across the submarine cable and digital infrastructure sector. From global network development and marine engineering to industry leadership and investment, these professionals bring extensive experience to roles that will help shape the next generation of international connectivity.

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SUBMARINE CABLE NEWS NOW REPAIRS, BUILDS, AND DEALS ACCELERATE News from July 11 2026 through September 18, 2026 July–September news highlighted cable faults and repairs alongside new systems, landing stations, vessel investment, regulatory developments, and network upgrades. CABLE FAULTS & MAINTENANCE ESA Funds Automated Cable Backup Project Fitburg Trial Opens Over Baltic Cable Damage Vocus ASC Fault Disrupts Australia-Singapore Traffic Four Cable Faults Disrupt Vietnam International Traffic Vietnam Cable Faults Cut International Capacity India Plans Faster Subsea Cable Repair Clearances Rostelecom Restores Kamchatka-Sakhalin Cable Subco Reports Concurrent Perth Cable Faults

Cable

NCC Cable Lands at Nongsa Digital Park

Telxius Completes Cancun Gateway Ahead of Tikal Launch

Qatar Regulates Subsea Cable Landing Access

Orange Backs ReuNION Cable to South Africa Telecom Egypt Signs Sharm El Sheikh–Taba Cable Deal Toptana Begins Washington Cable Landing Station Build AWS Plans Sta’O’Nuk Trans-Pacific Subsea Cable AWS Wins Final Fastnet Landing Station Approval Google’s Fiji Subsea Landing Project Advances

Kamchatka Prepares for Subsea Cable Repairs

Bangladesh Halts Private Subsea Cable Installation

Global Marine Orders Cable Maintenance Vessel

Meta Files Aurora Cable License for Denmark

Venezuela Restores International Subsea Cable Capacity

ION Network Expands ICS1 Subsea Cable Capacity

Cirion Begins Venezuela Subsea Cable Repair

Chile Studies Two Antarctica Subsea Cable Routes

CURRENT SYSTEMS Taiwan-Matsu No. 4 Cable Enters Service FCC Resolves AmeriCan-1 Licence Expiry Case Timor-Leste Launches First International Subsea Cable

DATA CENTERS Columbia Capital Backs MDC’s MANTA Landing Hubs Telconet Opens Guayaquil Data Center as CSN-1 Advances Datagrid Begins Southland Data Center Construction

FUTURE SYSTEMS EllaLink Lays Brazilian Amazon Branching Units XLSmart Begins Candle Cable Construction NT Secures USTDA Grant for Thailand-US Cable Study MDM Details Narwhal 1 and 2 Transatlantic Cable Plans Syria, Cyprus Sign Ebla Cable Agreement Singtel, Gulf Back Thailand-Singapore Cable LuLu Cable System Launches on Kenya’s Coast Canalink Lands Base4 Subsea Cable in Lanzarote

Mauritius Joins America-India Connect Cable

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY Japan Backs New Undersea Cable-Laying Fleet Telxius Deploys Nokia 800G Coherent Optics WFN Extends APTelecom Work in Southeast Asia EXA Announces Ninth Transatlantic Cable, EXA Meridian Bangladesh Plans Private Subsea Cable Market Opening InterOcean Cable Layer Reaches Keel-Laying Stage FLAG Details AI-Era Subsea Network Strategy WIOCC Secures $300M for African Digital Expansion

Keppel Secures Kruger Cable Licence

Telkom Eyes Africa, Latin America Subsea Expansion

Google Announces Three New Americas Subsea Cables

SK Telecom Spins Off Subsea Cable Business as SK Horizon

UGARIT 2 Cable Agreement Advances Syria Connectivity

Lightstorm Secures $262M for I-2SEA Cable

Pioneer Starts FISH West 2 Cable Design MDM Announces Narwhal 1 and 2 Transatlantic Cables Google and Meta’s Echo Cable Lands in Singapore

Oregon Proposes New Fees for Undersea Cables New Cable Vessels Add Laying and Repair Capacity Telxius Subsea Cable Business Set for €1.2B Sale

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Datagrid Signs Tasman Ring Subsea Cable Contract

SubTel Forum Releases 58th Edition of the Submarine Cable Almanac

DXN Builds Solomon Islands Cable Landing Station

TECHNOLOGY & UPGRADES

Trans-Caspian Cable Deployment Begins

UNH Deploys Appledore Cabled Ocean Observatory

Liberty, CANTV Plan Fénix Subsea Cable Philippine Telcos Propose $500M Subsea Cable Claro Plans Second AMX-1 Landing in Puerto Rico Canalink Begins Canary Islands Fiber Ring Deployment SHV-HK Cable Lands in Hong Kong Claro Lands AMX-1 Cable in Ponce SEA-H2X Cable Launches Across Asia-Pacific

Scotland Starts Shetland Cable Feasibility Study

Chubut and ENACOM Advance Cable Landing Plan

Firmus Commits $300M to SUBCO’s APX East

Google Lands Nuvem Cable in Portugal

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ADVERTISER'S CORNER ONE AUDIENCE AT A TIME by Hannah Schiffman It’s time for this issue’s advertising and marketing tip! Companies in the submarine telecom industry often serve several different types of customers. Your audience might include network operators, project developers, engineering firms, cable manufacturers, government agencies, investors, or other industry suppliers. That broad reach can be a business strength, but it can also create a marketing challenge. When one advertisement tries to speak to everyone, the message can become so general that it connects with no one. Here are a few ways to make your advertising more focused and effective. 1. Identify the primary audience. Before creating an advertisement, decide exactly who you want to notice it. “The submarine cable industry” is probably too broad. Instead, consider a more specific audience, such as project owners planning a new system, operators maintaining existing infrastructure, or companies seeking a specialized supplier. 2. Focus on that audience’s needs. Different customers may value different aspects of your business. One audience may care most about speed and availability, while another may prioritize experience, reliability, geographic reach, or technical expertise. Lead with the benefit that is most relevant to the audience you selected. 3. Avoid listing every capability. It can be tempting to include all your services, locations, certifications, and product offerings in one advertisement. Unfortunately, including everything often makes the most important message harder to find. Select one service or benefit and give the reader a clear reason to learn more. 4. Create separate versions when necessary. You do not need to use the same advertisement for every audience. The overall design 112

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and branding can remain consistent while the headline, imagery, and value proposition change. A few targeted versions will usually be more meaningful than one advertisement designed for everyone. Focused advertising does not limit your company. It makes it easier for the right people to understand why your company may be the right fit for their particular needs. Submarine Telecoms Forum provides numerous opportunities to reach specialized audiences throughout the industry. Contact me to discuss how we can help put your message in front of the people most relevant to your business.

Hannah Schiffman has 20 years of experience in the journalism and B2B publishing fields. She got her start as a local newspaper reporter and has spent the past 10+ years specializing in advertising, events and marketing across various industries. She lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, son and puppy.

2026 Your Gateway to Inﬂuential Submarine Telecoms Advertising

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B E A PA RT O F OU R NEX T IS S U E! SUBMIT AN ARTICLE: pressroom@subtelforum.com ADVERTISING: hschiffman@associationmediagroup.com

SubTel Forum Issue #150 - Offshore Energy