So what happens at the intersection of these two trends? Will the excitement for cables wane, or will the insatiable demand for the internet continue to fuel the need for cables such that the cable industry will power its way through the potential financial roadblock? These are questions that challenge us all. They will be the centerpiece of discussion at the upcoming PTC conference. Once again the traditional PTC conference will be held in Hawaii in January. This year it runs from Sunday 18th to 21st. Sub cables will be one of the major streams.
Will the Excitement Wane? By John Hibbard
The submarine cable industry has been booming. New cables and upgrades are being rolled out with such frequency that production lines and cableships are booked solid for the next two years. Countries that previously could never have dreamed of a cable are now achieving that goal. Everything seems very rosy.
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The financial world has been imploding. Credit markets have stopped operating. Cash for development is apparently non-existent. The current crisis is stated as taking years to resolve. In the short-term everything is predicted to contract.
Sunday morning will see the perennial cable seminar where the developments in the industry in the past year will be espoused and opened for discussion. New techniques for servicing smaller communities, new challenges presented by the US authorities and the tactics to overcome them, the steps being taken by Sub-Optic to create a more level playing field are just some of the topics on the program. The Sunday seminar/workshop will also provide a taste of what’s in store for the afternoon. Telegeography will provide a snapshot of industry trends which it will elaborate in the afternoon with intimate detail. Capacity demand is our great driver and we need to understand whether it will drive us through this financial recession,