Warrior event was still in everyone’s memory. It is for these reasons among others that STC (UK) rejected the Alcatel‘s suggestion to come with a joint bid, to offer a “European” solution. One of the winning factors has been the Port-Botany cable factory. Such a factory was a strong requirement from OTC (now Telstra) and the Australian Government. Alcatel was the most motivated. Such a factory could expand its influence in the Pacific where the three other players were historically well established in this region, which represents a large part of theiris market. to everyone. Infrastructure not a gun forThey a war.saw Whythis that not showing a green tendency, a green attitude, is arefactory we building 3 or 4 super highways (i.e. 12 to 16 high politically risky. President Obama is far from having the as a risk for their existing facilities! capacity pairs of fiber along the coast of West Africa) support of the American opinion, or that of the Congress, SubOptic ‘87 in at the right time. these days? Why notVersailles a co-buildcame concept? That would but he realized that not showing up at the Copenhagen is where the Australian teams discovered notItprevent all these operators embarked in the same the conference would have been a disaster for his image in to compete on services. the world. and l’Astrolabe, landed in 1788 to discover that cable French model, a close cooperation between My friend, we do not need this new marketing Having thrown away all around the worldbearing in “isms” Captain Cook was already the Alcatel and FT, exactly what they wanted to eslanguage. But we definitively need this “green attitude,” such as socialism and communism, the world has now British flag.ideology. So Botany Baythat is the now forpopular me the aiming tablish in their country. at building a well adjusted network, growing found its new I notice most wisely according to the real with since, nobody but green guy in country,which highly visible in thea media, symbol ofmy a dream becomes reality!is My friend, thingstraffic are need, changed staying unconnected when others are overfed. This is advocating that we need to stop this rush for continuous Tasman 2 has been yet another chapter one thing stays true: When you offer something, the “climate change” that we desperately need. ”Global growth. This guy is sponsored by the biggest industrial in this long Anglo-French competition! The warming,“ the reader canindustry, see between you are in our should the comelines fromif“more companies involved in nuclear plants or chemical award to Alcatel outheas a big In that sense, I dream that products. They let himcame say what wants, butsurprise they feel to cooperation.” or not genuinely motivated andSubOptic sincere.2010 Then be aoffer “green” meeting, the sunrise of a “climate such sponsorship is good for Alcatel. their images. They hide many, including inside Everybody was willyour becomes really attractive and this themselves behind a green face. naturally expecting the British to win that bat- change!” opens the route to “Botany Bay.” My friend, what can the submarine cable world such Ian expectation wasanswer: at thatLet’s time dotle, for and the planet? propose the following stop throwing money away! very logical. See you soon. At this very moment we can identify Billions There were so many difficulties and of € and even more in $ sitting useless in the bottom of Jean Devos is a senior consultant misunderstanding between and our oceans. How many tons of copper?Australia Polyethylene? with Submarcom Consulting. He Steel? Howthe many sleeping lasers, the amplifiers, France, main one being Frenchreceivers presence Submarcom is alsoConsulting one of the founders and a and miles of dark fiber? We all have in mind 4 pairs, 6 board member of Axiom, a Paris in the Pacific area, the worse being the nuclear pairs and even 8 pairs cables, installed 10 years ago, of based company specialized in bomb experiment in Tahiti! Thenot sad Rainbow which only one pair has been lit, and that even fully Submarine systems projects study & utilized. The North Atlantic is a good example of this management. He spent three years waste of money. After 10 years without a new cable, developing Tyco’s international 4 there is still plenty of unused capacity, and the next cable capability, and was the head of ASN (Alcatel Submarine is not even at the planning stage. Billions of £ which Networks). Jean was born in 1938 and is graduated could have found a better use. from the Lille University. He is the founder of SubOptic A “green attitude” would mean to build cable and carries a vast international experience in our field. according to genuine need. A “green attitude” would mean considering infrastructure as a common tool, open
Letter to a friend from Jean Devos
My friend,
What are you doing for the planet? We are invited to answer that question every day. Please shut off the lights, keep your car in the garage, have a shower instead of a bath, go biking instead of driving, and eat locally grown food so as to save the planet. Ok. Good. Why not? I can understand this kind of language. “Botany Bay” But what I read in telecom press magazines websites puzzles me.a For instance, this title fromtitle an Iand published recently modest novel, whose Alcatel-Lucent paper: “Transforming Communications is Bay. It is the place in Australia where ForBotany A Sustainable World.” established The paper describes Alcatel “a comprehensive eco-a sustainability program” where I picked up several submarine cable facnew expressions such as “addressing environmental tory in 1989 as part of challenges,” ”Sustainable communications network,” its and contract the ”ICT, the ingredient for green growth,”for”ecoefficiency,” “eco-sustainableTasman optical2 link. networking In this terminals,” and ”leaner and greener.” AT&T Inc. same bay, where two recently announced a new “Business Sustainability centuries before the Advisory Council, a set of industry players that will advise AT&T on the links between services and Frenchits expedition environmental initiatives. “La Pérouse” made of What does that all mean my friend? two ships, La Boussole I can somewhat understand the energy side of things. The energy that is used to keep data flowing and networks buzzing is growing quite large. Verizon Business has opened a $1 million lab designed to show government agencies how Verizon’s new fiber-to-thedesk Optical LAN can significantly cut power bills. But the reality is that the Telco’s are painting themselves in green in the hope that “Green will sell.” It’s the same way that our politicians now understand
My Dear Friend
51
A green attitude
Jean Devos
Jean Devos