![]() In addition to the physical security of the cable, there are three international treaties that legally protect these lines. “The damaged ends are retrieved by a submarine robot and the damage is then repaired, connected, or resolved on board special ships,” highlighted the COIT engineers. If the cable is damaged, repairs are done on the surface. The landing point, which works in conjunction with the Network Operations Center, has a series of technological tools to monitor the entire system in real time. ![]() The landing point (where the submarine cable makes landfall) plays a decisive role in guaranteeing proper functioning of the service in security protocols. There are mechanisms to monitor the submarine cables and prevent the deteriorations caused by the fishing and shipping industries. There are 378 submarine cables laid around the world, with a total length of 1.2 million kilometers Today, movement sensors are placed on the ocean floor so that if the tremors begin there, the speed with which the cable can give a warning provides a great deal of leeway to anticipate situations in cities. One occurring near Taiwan in 2006 (7.0 magnitude) broke eight cables and seriously affected communications in China. They must also be prepared for earthquakes. As Martínez and Miranda pointed out, sometimes the cables are even damaged by shark bites. Other issues can arise from fishing boat and shipping accidents as well as the use of anchors. That’s why fishing areas and faults are avoided when planning the cable’s final path and, wherever possible, boats unroll the cable over sandy floors instead of rocky ones. Nevertheless, the ocean floor is not a flat surface, but rather a turbulent one with depressions, rocks, mountains, etc. In any case, once the source and destination of the cables have been defined, a bathymetric survey is carried out to design the route it will go through, i.e., “a 3D analysis of the ocean floor to determine the least turbulent path where the cable is least likely to be damaged.” Cable security In the event that the cables are responsible for transporting electricity, they are also inserted in a special pipe to prevent the risk of contact with water. They also have steel protection to be able to provide mechanical traction and resistance on the seabed. These layers are made of copper and polyethylene. In order to ensure durability, the optical fibers are protected with a series of concentric layers that safeguard the interior. One of the greatest technical concerns is material durability in such an aggressive environment as the one underwater cables are usually expected to last an average of 25 years. “Due to light losing intensity throughout the cable, boosters are required at regular intervals to reestablish the intensity of the optical signal,” they said. According to Mariano Martínez and Noelia Miranda, member of the Board of Directors and head of Technical Development and Training at the Official Association of Telecommunications Engineers (COIT), respectively, modern submarine cables are made of optical fiber and based on the properties of pure fiberglass where light travels via internal reflection. Nevertheless, technical problems delayed the first stable transatlantic connection until 1866, and it was not until 1956 that a telephone line was installed.Īnother milestone in the story was the appearance of fiber optics. ![]() It took another two years for the first transoceanic installation, thanks to Atlantic Telegraph Company, which placed a cable for telegraphic transmission between the Canadian island of Newfoundland and Ireland. Humanity’s interest in being connected via submarine cable dates back to 1852, when a telecommunications network was laid between Great Britain and France through the English Channel to connect both countries to the telegraph network. This improved performance is fostering the continuous spread of cables with private and public capital. This is an essential resource for global business, as it allows the Internet to reach all corners of the planet, since wireless technology and satellite connections don’t have the same reliability and speed in data transmission. ![]() Hundreds of submarine cables rest on the sea floor around the world, facilitating the constant connection of companies and boosting international trade. ![]()
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