 50 march Voice 2010 of the ISSN 1948-3031 Industry

LANDMARK TH Finance & Legal 50 ISSUE ISSN 1948-3031 Submarine Telecoms Forum is published bimonthly by WFN Strategies. The

publication may not be reproduced or th transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, elcome to the landmark 50 issue of readers, as dial-up was still king! We also learned without the permission of the publishers. WSubmarine Telecoms Forum magazine, our that we could track the relative health of our Finance & Legal edition. industry by the number of undelivered emails Submarine Telecoms Forum is an independent com­mercial publication, returned from recent laid off personnel – and we serving as a freely accessible forum for So much has changed since we started publishing saw bounce-back rates of 10% - 20% for each bi- professionals in industries connected with this magazine, especially in the submarine cable monthly issue throughout 2002. submarine optical fibre technologies and industry. We’ve seen an industry boom, a bust, Kevin Summers took over layouts after Ted techniques. and a recovery. We’ve seen the establishment of passed away suddenly in 2004, and soon began to new industry conferences, and the steadfastness Liability: while every care is taken in make his mark on SubTel Forum. Summers was preparation of this publication, the of SubOptic. And this month we celebrate the 50th both a graphic artist and professional author, a publishers cannot be held responsible for issue of Submarine Telecoms Forum. the accuracy of the information herein, or combination that eventually led to his taking over any errors which may occur in advertising Ted Breeze and I created SubTel Forum with the the editorship of the magazine in early 2009. or editorial content, or any consequence expressed mission of creating an international Other features and products were added along arising from any errors or omissions. forum for our submarine telecoms. At the time, the way: an RSS feed, an interactive website, a our industry was headed nose down into an The publisher cannot be held responsible submarine cable map, an annual calendar, and the for any views expressed by contributors, incredibly severe recession, and we felt that all of us industry’s first podcast. These were all designed to and the editor reserves the right to edit any would need a safe place to vent and converse and fulfill the mission we set out on way back in 2001: advertising or editorial material submitted strategize – we wanted our magazine to become to create an international forum for the expression for publication. the Voice of the Industry. In November 2001, Issue of ideas pertaining to our unique industry. Contributions are welcomed. Please 1 was rolled out to do just that. forward to the Managing Editor: Now, as we’ve reached our 50th issue, Our first issue contained articles scraped together please join the staff of SubTel Forum from industry leaders as well as a few new names; in saluting the many contributors PUBLISHER we called in all our chits from business friends and who have made our magazine a Wayne Nielsen former colleagues, sold a few adverts on “faith,” success. We hope you like the had our name blessed by SubOptic, and then Tel: +[1] 703 444 2527 updated look and feel, and look survived the malaise following September 11th. Ted Email: [email protected] forward to another fifty issues provided the layouts, dark humor and cigarettes, of speaking as the Voice of the while I begged and pleaded for copy. Industry. EDITOR So Issue 1 hit the virtual street, and then we Kevin G. Summers waited – for applause – for anger – for calls from Tel: +[1] 703 468 0554 the lawyers! And slowly our peers responded Email: [email protected] with thanks and even some praise. And we then learned what would become our biggest technical challenge for the next five years – that files over 2 Copyright © 2010 WFN Strategies 1 meg in size were too onerous for many of our Finance & In This Issue Legal Exordium 2 Broadband Stimulus 17 ENTELEC 2010 40 Wayne Nielsen Public Knowledge Amanda Prudden

News Now 4 Planning, Paperwork, Persistence 21 Letters to the Editor 45 and Patience: The 4 P’s in U.S. Environmental Permitting Can Commercial Banks Return 7 Virginia Hoffman Conferences 46 to the Submarine Cable Market? & Meredith Cleveland Glenn S. Gerstell Letter to a Friend 47 Landing The Honotua Cable 26 Jean Devos Unep And The Icpc Bringing 12 Maui Sanford & John Hibbard Reason To The Environmental Impact Discussion Advertiser Index 48 Douglas Burnett & Lionel Carter Telegraphing a Tsunami 29 Morgan Heim Coda 49 Back Reflection 15 Kevin G. Summers Stewart Ash & Kaori Shikinaka Project Donet 34 JAMSTEC©

3 News Now  Australian Researchers’ 10Gbps  FiberZone Selected By GlobeNet  Global Nexus Obtains Bahamas links to US guaranteed to 2020 Operators License - New  FLAG Submarine Cable Network Submarine Network will connect  Chunghwa Telecom Says Still For Sale the Bahamas, Canada, Brazil, International Service Restored Cuba and the USA After Quake  GBI to connect to lucrative Saudi Market  Globe seeks new permit for  EASSy cable finally lands in international cable landing station Mtunzini  Global Crossing Upgrades in Cagaya Network Capacity to Meet  EASSy Fibre Cable Finally Set For Growing Demand for Broadband  Great Eastern Group Awarded Landing Service Multi-year US Naval Facilities Support Contract  FCC Releases Public Notice  Global Marine Systems Regarding Applications to announces Suriname Totness  Gulf Bridge International (GBI) Connect Submarine Cables to Shore Landing of the Suriname signs with Batelco Cuba Guyana Submarine Cable System  Gulf Bridge International and  Oi?s GlobeNet and Alcatel-  Pacnet Delivers Enhanced IPv6 du sign cable landing and Lucent complete upgrade of 22,000 Services partnership agreement kilometer submarine network linking the Americas  Pacnet Managed Services Wins IT  Gulf Bridge International Sign Square Editors? Choice Award Agreement With Vodafone Qatar  OMM team helps Lighthouse to Land GBI?s Submarine Cable R&D Enterprise Inc. add depth  Pacnet to Convert Cable Landing in Qatar to deepwater with installation of Facilities Into World Class Data new seabed observatory Centers across Asia  Honotua Cable Linking Tahiti to Hawaii Lands in Kawaihae  Otelwelcomes Eassy Cable To South Africa  Interoute extends pan- European fibre optic to Ireland  OUR Extends Application for as international enterprise Submarine Fibre Optic Cable investment in the region grows Licences

 Main One submarine cable  Pacific Fibre Submarine Cable project inches near completion Planned

 MTN bids for SAT-3  Pacnet Accelerates India Expansion with National and  MTN satisfied with EASSy International Long Distance progress as cable lands in South Licenses Africa

5 6 Can Commercial Banks Return to the Submarine Cable Market?

7 Glenn S. Gerstell ven a quick flip through the pages of that many sponsors and operators are planning Submarine Telecoms Forum or other industry – if not racing to complete – cable projects that Epublications makes clear that the subsea cable will inevitably compete with one another, further industry is in the midst of a rebound. The source confounding revenue projections for any system. of that rebound is equally apparent: the explosive growth of the Internet and the desire to replicate Ironically, the growth in the subsea cable sector that growth in the heavily populated countries of comes at a time when commercial banks are the Third World. Surprisingly, those very factors slowly staggering out of a recession and are are now creating difficulties in planning and greatly curtailing lending to anything other than financing for new submarine cable systems. highly creditworthy borrowers. Needless to say, submarine cable projects – with memories As the industry increasingly moves into Africa of the industry’s collapse several years ago not and focuses on regional systems elsewhere quite erased, and with new projects subject to the connecting, for example, Caribbean islands or revenue uncertainties noted above – will not fall countries in Southeast Asia, two consequences into that highly creditworthy category! ensue that spell difficulty. First, obviously enough, building cables in the Third World is more likely Capital expenditures continue apace in the to present construction challenges, permitting and industry and commercial banks will somehow licensing obstacles and cost overruns. Second, have to play a role in funding those expenditures. and potentially more worrisome, is the fact that The cable industry is on track by some estimates to revenue traffic projections are inherently uncertain spend over $3 billion over the next three years with in these markets with little history of broadband a record 16 new cables placed into service this past connectivity, or indeed any significant telecoms year throughout the world. Cable system owners, penetration. This uncertainty affects planning for all telecom operators and some other service providers sorts of subsea projects – from the consortia model are intent on meeting demands for international to the investor owned cable system. Predicting data and voice transmission (engendered primarily demand is always tricky in any scenario, but the by the explosion of web-based video, voice and problem is compounded where there is so little date and multimedia-centric websites). The data from which to extrapolate and make revenue recent completion of the SEACOM cable and the projections. For instance, a commercial lender anticipated installation of the EASSy, Main One, looking to back a new trans-Atlantic cable can and Glo-1 cables in Africa are testimony to the fact assess a borrower’s “base case” by comparing it to that the development (and lending) “action” has traffic on other existing cables or derive estimates in part shifted to Africa and other countries with with some degree of confidence from telecom/ low internet penetration. In fact, there are several Internet usage and connection rates in what are new cables planned for the Caribbean, the Middle clearly more developed markets. Obviously, that’s East and intraregional routes, as well as long-haul not possible when the cable in question is running routes such as the proposed Arctic Link cables. along the African coast. Moreover, the intrinsic Commercial banks have been noticeably absent difficulties of construction in the more problematic from the funding picture for some of the recent corners of the globe exacerbate the uncertainties African cable systems and regional projects, leaving in the revenue projections, since delays may be the field to multilateral development institutions more common and thus push back “ready for or simply to equity investors. The multilaterals commercial service” dates of submarine cable are a useful addition to financing options but they systems. Finally, the enticing prospects of robust have special requirements and can sometimes not growth in these underdeveloped markets mean 8 move as fast as commercial lenders. The massive amounts of capital required by the subsea industry sponsors can in turn shoulder the responsibility for can ultimately be met efficiently only through the further equity support as well as other risks noted active participation of the commercial banking above that lenders will not accept for their own sector. account. Lenders are manifestly insisting these days on tighter credit agreement provisions (e.g., So how do wary lenders react to this burgeoning lenders will demand more stringent financial ratio demand for capital in an uncertain seascape? compliance). As for collateral security, commercial Generally, the response has been with heightened lenders are demanding liens on both all assets attention to detail and assurance of returns to as well as a pledge of shares of the operating satisfy the credit committees to whom these lenders company (where feasible). Of course, in practice are ultimately responsible. The credit committees this can sometimes prove difficult because of the that are charged with approving new loans at multijurisdictional nature of a subsea system and almost every major financial institution around the the most valuable assets, the licenses, often being world are consistently applying tougher standards unpledgeable. Given these difficulties in obtaining (whether in the form of operational and financial “perfect” collateral packages, commercial lenders covenants, due diligence or improving upon often utilize collateral as a means not to ensure typical tax and yield maintenance provisions) repayment through actual enforcement, but as than at the height of the “easy money” boom of a means of control and to establish that no other a few years ago. These tougher standards are creditor will have leverage in a financial distress applied first and foremost to the project’s revenue situation. But that doesn’t mean operators projections, and will be discussed in detail later. In and sponsors shouldn’t be prepared for robust addition, those standards generate some notable negotiations over collateral with commercial banks. requirements for cable systems, including: (i) One battleground is a lender’s demand for express the shift of permitting, construction, operation acknowledgements for contractual assignments and management risk to sponsors instead of the from the borrower’s/operator’s key customers financiers; (ii) the expectation that sponsors will and other important counterparties. contribute a substantial equity component to the project and be responsible for (and capable of) Assuming the requirements outlined above can covering cash shortfalls of the project, whether due be satisfied, lenders are still left to grapple with to construction cost overruns or revenue shortfalls; uncertain revenue streams, which obviously (iii) credit documentation for the transaction are critical to ensure repayment of the loan. becoming much more tightly negotiated and Commercial lenders are wisely concerned with limiting the borrower’s operational freedom while the current declining bandwidth cost per unit, ensuring that complete collateral security remains as the rate of long-term declines in bandwidth paramount; and (iv) increased skepticism of using pricing is impossible to predict with any certainty. developing countries’ laws for any aspect of a This uncertainty is exacerbated by the fact that subsea project (in the form of increased importance in many markets there are simply too many of governing law provisions, dispute resolution telecom operators. For example, in India, the procedures and available judicial/arbitral relief). telecom industry is being further pushed towards consolidation and infrastructure sharing and thus These requirements translate into a “flight to operators (and their lenders) are forced to consider quality:” Lenders will seek to do deals with how this will affect pricing. Even precisely reputable operators and sponsors who have solid which direction market consolidation will push track records, eschewing untested management bandwidth prices is unclear. Will a decrease in teams or financial investors with little experience ruthless competition allow pricing to “firm-up” in 9 in successful subsea projects. Those operators and a given market, or will the increased purchasing industry, borrowers should recognize that they Glenn S. Gerstell is the managing power of major operators (in say, a duopoly) drive will be asked by banks to assure adequate equity, partner of the Washington, DC capacity prices down further? stand behind project costs, make available full office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley collateral security, engage competent local counsel & McCloy LLP, and heads the Competitive threats figure highly in any lender’s to familiarize lenders with emerging market risk firm’s global communications analysis of a project’s base case. In some cases, and legal requirements and to resolve licensing practice. He has been especially when faced with the prospect of investing in and permitting issues before drawing down a loan. active in the submarine cable second or third projects in a developing market, Even more importantly, commercial banks and sector, having advised lenders, vendors and commercial lenders have to account for the borrowers must analyze the base financial case and system operators in project financings, acquisitions possibility that it may be relatively simple and demand forecast with an eye for the uncertainties and large capacity commercial arrangements. A cost-effective to upgrade a competing cable system noted above. Inevitably that will mean that partner in Milbank since 1985, he has also served and this would negatively affect the profit return to sponsors and operators must be prepared for in the firm’s New York, Singapore and Hong Kong the project they have under consideration. In other lenders to discount, possibly significantly, their offices. Mr. Gerstell is the general editor ofTelecoms situations, lenders may need to account for the fact revenue projections. If so prepared, with a robust Project Documentation, published by Euromoney, that there might be a great amount of unlit fiber on business case, borrowers should be able to find and has been a regular speaker at Suboptic and some routes. Finally, alternative technologies such that middle ground with their bank lenders that other submarine cable industry conferences. as satellites can shift traffic and revenues away enables successful deals to be launched. Chambers Global, Chambers USA, Chambers Latin from subsea cables. America, International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, Lawdragon’s Leading Lawyers in America Uncertainty in revenue forecasting only gets worse and other recognized guides to the legal industry as the industry increasingly shifts to the less- have consistently ranked Mr. Gerstell as in the top developed world. Extrapolating from demand tier of his fields of practice. patterns in the US and western Europe may be useless. In many of the developing markets fixed line telecom and cable TV penetration is very low, so the population is adopting wireless technologies directly, and users are leapfrogging to 4G, WiMAX and LTE. In these new and untapped markets, there is no accepted model to predict revenues, further vexing lenders.

Sustaining the current boom in the subsea sector will require that commercial banks turn on the spigot to a greater degree. While to some extent that will depend on macro-economic and bank regulatory issues, at 10 least in the subsea cable 11 Unep And The Icpc Bringing Reason To The Environmental Impact Discussion

Douglas Burnett

12 & Lionel Carter very owner, route surveyor and installer of an international submarine telecommunications cable probably have been Eexposed to uncertainty, risk and unsupported demands of permitting authorities who require proof a cable does not have an unreasonable impact on the marine environment. Usually, such demands are manifested in an environmental impact statement or assessment.

In response substantial costs may be incurred through the employment of environmental consultants and lawyers who try to Submarine cables and the oceans: prove what in many cases is a negative assertion. In other words, the cable owner must prove that a fiber optic cable does not have a negative environmental impact. Furthermore, although consultants connecting the world hired by cable owners are often world class in their field, their advice may be considered “slanted” because a permitting agency perceives them as advocates for the cable industry.

The task is further complicated by an apparent dearth of peer- reviewed science, published in quality science journals and other neutral academic sources, that permitting authorities may regard as authoritative and neutral.

A change to this reoccurring theme appears to have arrived with the publication of “Submarine Cables and the Oceans: connecting the world”, which was released in February 2010 by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) through the UNEP/World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) and the International Cable Protection Committee ICPC)1. The UNEP/ICPC Report stems from a three year collaboration between UNEP and the ICPC. The projects aimed at providing an overview of submarine telecommunication cables that focuses on their relationship with the natural and human-influence marine environment. Where possible, the report used peer-reviewed science papers which were supplemented with material gleaned from reputable sources.

But why submarine telecommunication cables? The development of the submarine fibre-optic network over the last 20 years along with the evolution of the internet, have reinvented the way the world communicates. Commerce, financial markets, education, entertainment, social networking or just a telephone call, are based on the unseen network of undersea cables, which carry more than 95% of all data and voice traffic.

The report is written with the non-specialist in mind, thus making it accessible to as wider audience as possible. It introduces the reader to the world of submarine cables that in our modern society, form

1 Carter L., Burnett D. Drew S., Marle G., Hagadorn L., Bartlett-McNeil Dl, and Irivine N. (2009). Submarine Cables and the Oceans-Connecting the World. UNEP-WC- MC Biodiversity Series No. 31. ICPC/UNEP/UNEP-WCMC. (“UNEP/ICPC Re- 13 port”) 64 pp. the backbone of the global information highway. discussed along with various means of reducing on the marine environment that is in the public That introduction is captured in eight, easy-to-read their toll on the network domain. This has resulted from an enlightened chapters that cover the following topics: collaboration between a major environmental The Changing Face of the Deep: A Glimpse into agency and a critical ocean user. But the report A History of Submarine Cables: centres on the the Future: the final chapter gazes into the crystal is neither UNEP’s view nor the industry view; evolution of the global communication system, ball to evaluate potential threats to the global rather it is a factual assessment of what is known. from the pioneering era of telegraphic cables in the network in light of an increasing human presence Such a compendium of knowledge will help bring mid 19thC to mid 20thC, to the coaxial systems of offshore and the projected changes in the ocean evidence-based information into the discussion of the mid 20thC and now the fibre-optic network associated with climate change. submarine cables and the environment.

Inside Submarine Cables: this is essentially an All of the above are captured in just 64 readable Oh, did we mention that the report is free? It is. insight into the workings of cables from the old pages that are embellished with suites of quality It can be downloaded on the websites of the ICPC telegraph to modern fibre-optic systems. graphics. The report is supported by 190 peer or UNEP.2 The next time you have a discussion review and authoritative references, which is a with a permitting authority or a government Survey, Lay and Maintain Cables: opens up the substantial resource for anyone wishing to delve regulator or environmental NGO, bring a copy world of cable laying beginning with the surveys into the world of cables. The compilation thus along. Hopefully, the resulting outcome will be that define a route across the ocean floor, the actual becomes an invaluable research “short-cut” for based on the science and not on viewpoints that laying of the cable in ocean depths down to 5,000 governmental regulators, the cable industry and are unsupported by reliable evidence. m and more, and system’s maintenance – how do the science community. you repair a cable that has been damaged in those depths? But the real qualitative value of “Submarine Cables Doug Burnett is a maritime partner and the Oceans: connecting the world” rests in the in the New York City office of International law: summarizes the international collaborative efforts of the authors. Besides the Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P, conventions that recognize the vital importance of contributors of this article, the other authors an international law firm with 32 sub-sea communications and accordingly provide include highly regarded names in the industry like offices in 15 nations. Mr.. Burnett legal rights and obligations, as well as guidelines Stephen Drew, Graham Marle, Lonnie Hagadorn, is a 1972 graduate of the U.S. Naval for protecting this critical infrastructure asset. Deborah Bartlett-MecNeil, and Nigel Irivne. For Academy and a 1980 graduate of the UNEP , the wise council and guidance of Dr. Stefan University of Denver Law School. He Environmental Impacts: the effect of cables, Hain deserve special recognition. All contributions is a retired captain in the U.S. Navy and has worked on including laying and maintenance operations, on were cross-checked and edited by equally renown submarine cable cases for over 25 years. He has served as the seabed environment are examined including members of the cable industry, the environmental the International Law Adviser of the International Cable interactions with whales and fish. movement, and international legal scholars Protection Committee since 1999. including Robert Beckman, David Billet, Kristina Natural Hazards: documents the various hazards Gjerde, Malcolm Gilberd, Alan Green, Dr. Myron Lionel Carter is a Professor at Victoria such as submarine earthquakes and landslides Nordquist, Alain Polloni, Neil Rondorf; John University, Wellington, New that impact upon the cable network especially in Tibbles, Dean Veverka, Bob Wargo, Robin Warner, hazard-prone regions such as the circum-Pacific Zealand. He is also the International Nigel Weaver and Ian Wright in a thorough peer- Marine Environmental Advisor for rim. review process. ICPC. Submarine Cables and Other Maritime Activities: So what is the big deal about the report? Simple; as well as natural hazards, cables contend with for the first time there is a neutral document threats from human activities, especially bottom addressing all aspects of submarine fibre-optic trawl fishing and ships anchoring. These threats are 2 http://www.unep-wcmc.org/ 14 telecommunication cables, including their impacts http://www.iscpc.org/publications/icpc-unep_report.pdf Back Reflection by Stewart Ash & Kaori Shikinaka From Coaxial to Fibre Cables: that for both domestic and international applications a single landing at Ninomiya, the loop contained two Japanese Submarine Cables Part 2 the technical and economic limits of submarine coaxial regenerating repeaters (one supplied by Fujitsu the Trans-Pacific Cable – 1 (TPC-1), the first transpacific cables had been reached and an alternative technology other by NEC Corp). The system cable was supplied by submarine telephone cable, installed in 1964, provided was required. OCC and contained 6 single-mode fibres. The cable was 138 x 3kHz voice channels, which significantly improved Building on the pioneering work of Dr Charles Kao laid by the cableship KDD Maru. Terminal equipment the quality of telephone circuits between the US and Japan, and Dr George Hockham at STL, Harlow UK. Corning was once again supplied by Fujitsu and NEC. The and was a major contributory factor in the economic Inc., in 1970, succeeded in producing the first “low- system operated at 1,310nm and a line rate of 300Mb/s development of Japan at that time. However, the second loss” optical fibre that surpassed the less-than-20dB/km providing the equivalent of 4,000 voice circuits. The transpacific submarine cable, TPC-2, connecting Hawaii, benchmark by achieving a transmission loss of just over repeaters were power by a 1.0A PFE on a double end Guam and Okinawa, was not laid until over a decade 16dB/km. This milestone was the catalyst for the start of feed basis. The NTT system comprised a 50km loop later, in 1975. This added another 845 x 3kHz voice research and development into the use of optical fibre for from a single landing at Yahatano, the loop contained circuits to the existing Japan to US traffic. Over the next telecommunications systems. Use of the technology for two regenerating repeaters (one supplied by Fujitsu the few years, in order to deal with the rapidly growing land applications advanced rapidly and by the late 1970’s other by NEC Corp). The system cable was supplied demand for international communications, an enormous serious consideration was being given to applying it to by OCC and contained 6 single-mode fibres. The cable amount of effort was expended by the Japanese industry the more challenging environment of submarine cable was laid by the cableship Kuroshio Maru. Terminal as a whole in enhancing the bandwidth and voice systems. Development work started in France, Japan, equipment was once again supplied by Fujitsu and circuit carrying capacity of coaxial cable systems. In UK and USA at almost the same time, so, for the first NEC. The system operated at 1,310nm and a line rate the domestic market, Fujitsu and NEC Corp developed time, the Japanese industry was on a level playing field of 400Mb/s providing the equivalent of 2 x 5,760 voice viable 36Mhz systems for NTT which provided 2,700 relative to its international competitors. circuits. The repeaters were power by a 1.0A PFE on a x 4kHz voice channels. This technology was first The first experimental fibre optic submarine cable double end feed basis. deployed in a shallow water system between Kure and system deployed in Japan was a 50km cable loop In 1984, KDD conducted a deep water trail using Marsuyama, in 1971. The first deep water application between Inatori and Kawazu. The cable was supplied the cableship KDD Maru. A 50km length of OCC cable was the Okinawa – Miyakojima system, installed in 1975. by OCC and contained 5 graded-index multimode fibres. containing 6 single mode fibres also included two 36MHz technology was even commissioned by KDD for There were no submerged repeaters and the system was regenerating repeaters. This mini-system was deployed the Japan – Korea international system, which went into laid for NTT by the cableship Tsugaru Maru. Terminal and recovered from a water depth of 7,000m. The Fujitsu service in 1981. However, to achieve this transmission Transmission equipment was provided by both Fujitsu and NEC Corp supplied repeater designs were 280Mb/s performance, repeater spacing was reduced to 2nm and and NEC Corp. The system operated at 1,310nm and operating at 1,310nm with a transmission speed of so the power feed demands for such systems made the tests were carried out at bit rates of 6.3, 32 and 100 Mb/s. 295.6mBaud and a Line Code of 24B1P. The system technology impracticable for transoceanic systems. In In 1981, NTT conducted the first sea trail of an optical was powered by a 1.6A PFE on a single end basis. This 1979, NTT commissioned from Fujitsu and NEC an regenerator using the cableship Tsugaru Maru; the trail design was to form the basis of the first generation of experimental coaxial system (Sagami Bay No.4). This system included a single regenerator repeater supplied international commercial fibre optic submarine systems. 15km cable loop contained 4 repeaters operating at jointly by Fujitsu and the NEC Corp. With this final trail the Japanese industry was perfectly 43.2MHz. It was able to provide 10,800 x 4kHz voice The first Japanese experimental systems containing placed to address what would effectively be a brand new circuits but repeater spacing was reduced to 1.8nm. After repeaters were deployed in 1982 by both KDD and market for submarine cable systems that would emerge 15 this trail, in Japan as elsewhere, it was finally accepted NTT. The KDD system comprised a 50km loop from in the next few years. 16 Broadband Stimulus

17 he American Recovery and Reinvestment Program Details Broadband Inventory Map Act of 2009 contains two sections that deal with broadband. These sections are designed The Broadband Technology Opportunities Pro- The Commerce Department has two years to com- T gram (BTOP) is a program to develop and expand pile and make publicly available a map of existing to expand broadband penetration across the coun- try. There are a number of ways that the bill intends broadband service. Its goal is to increase broad- broadband service capability and availability. No to accomplish this goal. band access in un- and under-served areas. A large details as to the granularity of this map were in- part of the program will encourage construction of cluded in the statute. As we have pointed out in the The most intuitive way to expand broadband is broadband infrastructure. In a victory for an open past, mapping is more complicated than it might to provide funds for the physical construction of Internet, the law requires grant recipients to com- appear. A number of questions about disclosure, networks – digging ditches, running wire, and ply with non-discrimination and interconnection accuracy, and public accessibility will need to be connecting houses. There are also some provisions obligations, to be determined by NTIA in consulta- resolved in order for the map to be truly useful and designed to increase demand for broadband and tion with the FCC. Under the law, the obligations worthwhile. attempt to understand what level of connectivity will, at a minimum, adhere to the FCC broadband already exists. In the bill these programs are all policy statement. FCC National Broadband Plan extremely vague and broadly written. However, The FCC has one year to submit a national broad- the National Telecommunications and Information Additionally, the BTOP is tasked with providing band plan to relevant committees in both the House Administration (NTIA) and Rural Utility Service broadband education, awareness, access, equip- and Senate. This report must include an analysis (RUS) are currently working to fill in the details. ment, and support. This education and support is intended to assist institutions of higher learning, of the most effective and efficient mechanism for Broadband Technology organizations that provide outreach and support ensuring broadband access, a detailed strategy to Opportunities Program to vulnerable populations, job creation facilities, expand broadband, an evaluation of the develop- public safety organizations, and generally stimu- ment of broadband nationally, and a plan for the Funding late the demand for broadband. use of broadband to advance a host of goals such as consumer welfare, civic participation, public $4,700,000,000 is allocated to this program. Ulti- This last category is potentially the broadest. safety, and economic growth. mately, the NTIA (part of the Department of Com- Funds can be allocated to any “projects and ac- merce) and the FCC will be working together on tivities as the Assistant Secretary [of Commerce] Rural Utility Service this program. In addition to funds for the physical finds to be consistent with the purposes for which The Stimulus Bill provides $2.5 billion to the Rural construction of broadband networks, the Program the program is established.” These funds may go Utility Service (housed in the Department of Ag- has two major initiatives: towards addressing the “demand side” of broad- riculture) for the construction of broadband net- band growth. Essentially, there is a feeling that $250,000,000 will be available in competitive grants works. Priority is to be given to networks that pro- many people who can get broadband access do to fund “innovative programs to encourage sus- mote rural development. The funds are funneled not consider it a worthwhile or useful service. Pro- tainable adoption of broadband service” through the existing RUS program and statutory grams that help to promote the positive features of language appears to apply only to the construction broadband access – a type of “internet evangelism” Up to $350,000,000 allocated for the creation of a of physical networks. Importantly, priority will - will help increase broadband penetration by mak- Broadband Inventory Map. be given to systems designed to give end users a ing the public more aware of the benefits of con- choice of broadband providers. This could encour- nectivity. age open-access systems where any ISP could lease 18 the “last mile” connection to homes and businesses at a wholesale rate and compete for business. This system is in contrast to current models where the first movers to physically construct the infrastructure (usually cable and telephone companies) are able to capture the marketplace.

Implementation

Shortly after the passage of the bill, the NTIA and RUS held hearings and roundtable discussions to take public comment on how to implement the law’s requirements, as well as to inform potential recipients of grants how to submit proposals.

Although stakeholders were originally encouraged to request private meetings, the NTIA has since announced that they will not be able to accommodate every request due to overwhelming demand. Instead, stakeholders were encouraged to attend pub- lic meetings scheduled for March 10, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, and 24. Information about these meetings, including agendas, participants, transcripts, and videos, are available here. Interested parties may also submit comments online. Additional information about the program can be found here.

19

Planning, Paperwork, Persistence and Patience: The 4 P’s in U.S. Environmental Permitting

Virginia Hoffman

21 & Meredith Cleveland ith new environmental policies and awareness sweeping across the U.S., more accurate time and cost estimates for project regulatory changes are almost inevitable. The submarine cable industry, budget and scheduling. Every opportunity is Walready dealing with a complicated permitting processes, is as susceptible taken to avoid restricted areas with resultant route as any to new, resultant amendments to existing legislation. Today, cable operators engineering and technical trade-offs. Individual are becoming increasingly inundated with more paperwork and longer time agencies are contacted to determine which requirements associated with both permitting and licensing/regulatory processes. permits, licensing agreements, zoning waivers, New policies, rules, and regulations can significantly delay the licensing of new cable and fees are necessary, both for cable installation landings or, at the very least create a headache for those mired in the procedure. In and the subsequent maintenance requirements fact, the environmental permitting procedure can be the single most unpredictable of the cable. As the route engineering process portion of the entire submarine cable installation, and in some cases will entail moves forward, permitting then becomes tighter significant additional cost. and more defined with both processes integrating information and requirements. However, even As the permitting process can be very time consuming and costly, the most comprehensive desktop study will only it is important to initiate the planning phase early. Submarine give a rough idea of total costs and number of cables within the U.S. are subject to a variety of government permits required due to the permissions and authorities, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, review cycles within the permit application NOAA, EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, individual process. Each bureaucracy has its own standards state departments of Environmental Quality/ and evaluations, and the unknown input from Protection, public park services, archaeological seabed users or special interest groups. Therefore, and cultural preservation bureaus, and local estimates will need to be augmented with the government units. The additional groups of desktop study and integrated with the route environmental activists or seabed users are engineering requirements. also entitled to comment during the regulatory process and may slow down the process. Within this second element are the environmental Preliminary planning is done with the general impact assessments as determined by the identification of the landing points, the regulatory agencies. Depending on the cable backhaul/commercial requirements and installation location, an environmental consultant their overarching regulatory agencies could prove very helpful in areas where the cable and sometimes with input from general operator is unfamiliar. A consultant will also most interest groups. This construction likely be better informed and attuned to any recent of system requirements must remain changes in environmental policy and any special flexible to allow integration of all the interest group input, which can greatly affect speed environmental, technical, commercial of cable installation. In some cases, environmental and regulatory requirements and is usually consultants are required by the governing agencies termed the Feasibility Study. as part of the application and installation processes.

The second stage within the permitting Depending upon the project complexity and process is the actual paperwork required to location, review and approval cycles are now obtain the permit. To navigate permitting initiated which leads to the third element: required by the various agencies, it is Persistence. This element is required in large essential to first complete a desktop study amounts to contend with the questions and (and either resultant or parallel route answers arising not only from the questions posed engineering study) to evaluate agency by interested parties or seabed users outside jurisdiction, regulatory requirements, any of the project, but as each step is completed, the seabed user requirements, and determine resultant additional work to prove that the project 22 is necessary, environmentally sensitive and the federal Coastal Management Zone Act (CZMA) to the state to supervise any permitting or licensing compliant with all agencies . And each project have notably slowed the licensing process within actions per their own coastal management plan. must contain the fourth element, patience, to work the US and concerns about these new rules are a Therefore, up until 2007, the CZMA and the through all the issues presented, to maintain and continuing hot topic of discussion and concern undersea cable industry existed peacefully, aka sustain forward progress and to coordinate all the within the cable industry. Initially, the CZMA was without any direct involvement of the FCC. The agencies and interested parties. a federal statute enacted in 1972 with the main Army Corps of Engineers was responsible for objective of promoting preservation of coastal any CZMA consistency determinations. (In these Currently of great importance to the permit effort areas. States on both coasts were encouraged cases, consistency is merely an effort for the state is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to create coastal management plans through the to maintain activities that are compatible with who grants the landing license. Within the past National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration their specific coastal regulations.) Surprisingly, 23 three years, changes by the FCC to better enforce (NOAA). Most interestingly, the CZMA left it up in 2007 the FCC then reversed its policy of letting other government agencies take the lead in With over 25 years of engineering environmental permitting for cables with a new and procurement experience, ruling. In this new policy, undersea cable projects Virginia Hoffman received a BS were subject to review by states and territories that degree in Physical Chemistry from could compel any permitting requirements they Stockton State College in 1976 and saw fit before the FCC would grant a cable landing a BS degree in Ocean Engineering license. The FCC claimed this new ruling was from Florida Atlantic University more compliant with the CZMA, but many within in 1978. She joined the Naval Underwater Systems industry were strongly opposed, including NOAA Center, Atlantic Undersea Testing and Evaluation itself. However, the FCC went ahead in face of the Division supporting ASW and the various Navy opposition. Now, if a state decides a cable needs ranges and then moved to Tracor Marine in Fort a consistency review, this must be included in the Lauderdale where she worked on different ship, FCC application. salvage, and ocean construction projects. She established Great Eastern Group in 2002. Clearly, this new ruling may cause problems for the cable industry by inserting delays of up to six Meredith Cleveland is a Project months or more in the permitting process while Engineer for WFN Strategies. She it remains in place. Cables with multiple landing received a BS in Environmental points in the US are especially susceptible: if one Sciences from the University of state decides there is an issue with permitting Virginia and her MS from the and/or consistency, the entire cable project is University of New Hampshire compromised until the issue is resolved. Moreover, in Earth Sciences with a this could possibly disrupt the FCC’s streamlining specialization in Geochemical Systems. She is a process for cable landing licensing, originally trained scientist with areas of expertise in running established in 2002. highly specialized instrumentation as well as data collection, management, and interpretation. Therefore, the U.S. continues to persevere as a difficult country to permit undersea submarine cables and this statement will be underscored as more policy changes continue to be enacted without full appreciation of resultant effects. Rigorous planning for cables will become increasingly important with more extensive front end cost and schedule loaded feasibility studies, desktop studies, and integrated route engineering will be maintained as smooth a process as possible.

24 25 Landing The Honotua Cable

Maui Sanford & John Hibbard

26 ome cable landings are very different; the Papenoo in Tahiti, the place considered sacred as The day of landing was imminent with the ship a landing of the Honotua cable was one of those. the departure point for those original travelers. few kilometers off the coast. Many of us flying in SThis cable, which runs from French Polynesia for the landing were greeted with the warning of a to Hawaii, not only had all the common technical The cultural element does not stop there, because tsunami from the cockpit, the concern arising from and practical challenges, it had a major cultural the cable lands at Spencer Beach on the Big Island the Chile earthquake. The State was in evacuation dimension. In Tahitian, “te Hono” means path over of Hawaii. This was the point where, 200 years mode as everyone fled to higher ground. Concern the horizon and “Tua” means across the sea so the ago this year, Kamehameha the Great defeated existed as the potential damage to the landing cable is ideally named to describe the system. The rival tribes to become the first King of Hawaii. We site. Fortunately, the tsunami waved passed strong cultural dimension comes from the fact it is were planning to lay the cable across this hallowed without major incident. The weather was still, and a thousand years since the Polynesians made their ground. You can surely appreciate the symbolical anticipation was high for the easy landing. There way from Tahiti north to populate the Hawaiian importance of this landing, re-linking the Tahitian were going to be some amazing cultural elements Islands. Anthropologists have discovered that and Hawaiian peoples by the cable. Managing all on that day, including a tribal greeting and the migration did not occur across the north Pacific to the traditions and people with a heritage in the ceremonial buoy handover. Hawaii as many think, but rather from China and place was a daunting task. Taiwan through Micronesia, south to Melanesia, But as is wont to happen, the benign weather of the and then eastward from Fiji to Tahiti before the With great cultural sensitivity and excellent previous days became a 40 knot nor-easter for the transit north to a Hawaii occurred a millennium guidance, this was achieved to the satisfaction of big day. This did not hamper the celebrations, but ago. So, just as the outrigger canoes traversed the all, and this recognition of the importance paved it did prevent the actual landing, which occurred 27 route, so will the cable, coincidently leaving from the way for the approval of the landing site. three days later when the wind moderated. Honotua will provide French Polynesia with its first Mr Sanford is 47 years old, lives in John Hibbard is a leading cable, linking Bora Bora, Raiatea, Huahine, Moorea Papeete Tahiti, French Polynesia consultant in international and Tahiti with Hawaii. Owned by OPT (Office and is working for the Office des telecommunications, particularly de Postes and Telecommunications) the cable Postes et Télécommunications in the development of submarine connects to Hawaiian cable station at Kawaihae, (OPT) since 1983 – He currently cable projects. He has over owned by Wavecom Solutions (known till recently acts as International Relations 40 years experience in the as Pacific LightNet). Nearby to the Southern Cross Manager. Mr Sanford holds a telecommunications industry, station and linked by a high capacity tie cable, this law degree from the “Université française du mostly in international activities and submarine Wavecom station has been upgraded substantially Pacifique” in Tahiti (1991). cables. Prior to becoming a consultant, John was to be capable of accommodating further cables Managing Director Global Wholesale at Telstra beyond Honotua and the domestic Hawaiian inter- Maui Sanford is the current president of the Australia, where he managed Telstra’s international island cable currently terminated there. Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association – business, and was founding Chairman of the PITA - a Fiji based non profit organisation whose Australia Japan Cable. He is now President of the Some cable landings are very routine, being a main objectives is to promote telecommunication Pacific Telecommunications Council and Chairman simple implementation of infrastructure. So it was development in the Pacific (www.pita.org.fj). of its Board of Governors. great to be involved with one that was different. The Currently PITA membership is composed of cultural overtones gave the landing a colour and operators, regulators and suppliers with a total character rarely experienced properly reflecting number of around 135. Cooperation is established the significance of the occasion and resulted in with all major international governmental or non something truly memorable. governmental organisations (ITU, APT, PTC, APSCC, ICANN, APNIC…). Honotua cable adds yet another Pacific nation to those with cables so affording French Polynesia In relation with the interislands & Tahiti – Hawaii the consequential enhancement to business and Honotua submarine cable project, he’s in charge of commerce, health and education, research and the permitting & licensing aspects both for French entertainment that high speed abundant low Polynesia and the United States latency capacity can bring.

28 Telegraphing a Tsunami

29 Morgan Heim ubmarine communication cables have comes in. Nair and his colleagues, Alexei come a long way. Sure they transmit Kuvshinov of the Swiss Federal Institute Sconversations, carry data, and help of Technology in Zürich; S. Neetu of the keep the internet connection alive between National Institute of Oceanography in countries. But there’s a use I’m willing to India and T. Harinarayana of the National guess few people would expect from this Geophysical Research Institute also in sprawling network of cables crisscrossing India, discovered a new tool to add to the seabed, tsunami detection. the tsunami-warning arsenal, submarine communications cables. Earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions and even meteors hitting the ocean can “By monitoring voltages across this trigger a tsunami. The trouble is tsunamis network of ocean cables, we may be able are hard to detect when in the open-ocean. to enhance the current tsunami warning Passengers dining on a cruise ship at the system,” said Nair. surface might not notice any unusual rolling around of tomatoes and veggies as The cables, Nair and his colleagues the wave passes beneath them. Not until discovered, send out a little extra electrical nearing landfall do the waves reach their signal when hit by a passing tsunami. It is most devastating power, such as the 2004 the ocean’s saltiness that allows the cables Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed more to play this pivotal role. than 280,000 people in South-East Asia. Seawater likes to conduct electricity and The current international warning system does so all the time as it passes through relies on coastal tide gauges and a network the Earth’s geomagnetic field. The charge of deep-ocean pressure sensors, mostly in seawater produces in this way is not like the Pacific, that transmit a steady stream of sticking a finger in a light socket, otherwise data to the United States and help forecast no one would dare set foot in the ocean. tsunami impacts. Since the catastrophic But it’s this ability to conduct electricity 2004 tsunami, U.S. government support that helps submarine cables stretching for for tsunami education and detection has miles transmit their signal. grown. More than $100 million has been spent for tsunami research, the results of Nair and his colleagues wondered if the which are giving communities a better same nature of the ocean would enable a chance at knowing when a monumental passing tsunami to stimulate changes in wave might be headed their way. the electrical field along the cable network. If so, it could help supplement warning But the current warning system, though systems in ways other options, like new good, is sparse and scattered, hardly sensors, might not. Submarine cables occur covering all the tsunami prone regions. in most of the world’s oceans, no assembly That’s where Manoj Nair, a scientist with required, and using what’s already there NOAA and the University of Colorado means it’s cheap. Most modern day fiber at Boulder’s Cooperative Institute for optic cables use a copper conductor to Research in Environmental Sciences, power their repeaters, and many cable 30 companies already measure voltages along the cables as part of their housekeeping activities. This could help make tsunami detection more accessible both logistically and to poorer countries.

The tsunami project isn’t the first time that submarine cables have played a role in the quest to understand the movement of water. In the 1980s, scientists J.C. Larsen and Thomas Sanford successfully estimated how much water moved through the Florida Strait by looking at the voltage it generated along submarine cables, a monitoring technique practiced regularly today. Another researcher, David J. Thomson noted changes in the electrical field across submarine cables after California’s Cape Mendocino earthquake in 1992. But while the electricity generating partnership of submarine cables and water movement was taking form in science, its potential for detecting tsunamis had yet to be put to the test.

For a case study, Nair and his colleagues chose the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the lethal outcome of the most intense deep-sea earthquake in the past 40 years. Using two kinds of computer models, Nair and his colleagues simulated both the tsunami and the electrical and magnetic fields generated in the ocean at the time. With the model churning away, they observed an electrical pulse along cable lines that coincided with the path of the wave.

One would think that a wave traveling through the ocean at the speed of a jetliner might generate a pretty big signal. But the change is surprising. “We estimate that the 2004 tsunami induced voltages of about 500 millivolts in the cables,” said Nair. “This is very small compared to a 9-volt battery, but still large enough to be distinguished from background noise on a magnetically quiet day.”

Nair cautions that there is still work to do in order to confidently isolate the tsunami signal from 31 other sources, such as Earth’s upper atmosphere, or other oceanic influences like ocean circulation and tides, whose signals can reach 100 millivolts or more.

Regardless, it’s astounding if you think about it. The wave that struck South-East Asia Dec. 26, 2004, killing 280,000 people, in the open ocean likely registered fewer volts than it takes to power your iPod®.

Shortly after this article was written, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked the South American coast near Concepcion, Chile. The seismic rumble was the most intense earthquake to hit the country since 1960, when a 9.5-magnitude earthquake, the largest ever measured, shook the country. The earthquake that struck Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010, triggered a tsunami that endangered Hawaii and Japan. The wave that eventually reached Hawaii was small, but hit the northern Pacific coast of Japan with a 4-foot tsunami a day after the earthquake. Though a tsunami warning system expanded since 2004 helped alert Hawaii to the possible threat, a disclaimer on NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environment Laboratory website noted the potential inaccuracies stemming from preliminary data. This highlights the fact that tsunamis remain difficult to accurately forecast.

Morgan Heim is a science writer for the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), where she communicates groundbreaking research in the interdisciplinary Earth science, including polar process, hydrology, climate and geology. Heim is also a freelance multimedia journalist covering science and environment for such outlets as Smithsonian, the Nature Conservancy Magazine, and High Country News, and is an emerging league member of the International League of Conservation Photographers. 32

Project Donet

© 34 JAMSTEC System Concept measurement’ united. The observatory network The five science node interfaces are scheduled to should be able to replace, maintenance and extend be equipped in the system. A duplicated pier-to- 1.System Overview Description while operating, and should be have a redundancy pier optical fiber physical communications channel The DONET is a submarine cabled real-time seafloor observatory for the internal or external observatory network is allocated between science node interfaces network for the precise earthquake and tsunami monitoring. For component failure. To achieve these requirements, and terminal equipments on land to ensure the the purpose of understanding and forecasting the earthquake and the DONET proposes a composition that consists reliability. The optical amplifiers (repeaters) are related activities underneath the seafloor, the twenty sets of state- of three major components with different system prepared every 40-60km optical fiber length of-arts submarine cabled sub-sea measurement instrument will reliability. There are high reliability backbone cable interval to transmit the signal longer distance be deployed in seafloor at the interval of 15-20km. The twenty system, replaceable science node, and extendable without degradation. These repeaters correspond sets of preliminary interface are prepared in consideration of the measurement instruments. Following figure1 to the coherent optical time-domain reflectometry improvement of observation capability in the future. Operating shows the system design plan to be implemented (C-OTDR) optical fiber fault detection system. The large-scale subsea infrastructure over a long period of time (20-30 in DONET. branching unit (BU) is an interface for science node years) is one of a challenge of underwater technology. The increase interface. This unit controls the high voltage power of measurement instruments has a big influence on the total system 2. Backbone Cable System feed path in backbone cable system, and has a reliability, because of the state-of-arts instrument is a bottleneck to The backbone cable system provides the power function to separate a science node when the node maintain long-term reliability. A novel system design concept is feed line and the communications channel interface one by one becoming unexpected status. necessary for the observatory network development to make two to the apparatus in the seafloor. The system For the connection between a BU and a science demands such as ‘high reliability system design’ and ‘state-of-arts brings a recently developed sub-sea telecomm node interface, a dual conductor light weight cable technologies to fit for the high reliability submarine cable that met ITU-T recommendations requirement for 20years seamless observation. is being developed in this project as Figure2. A constant current DC power supply technology provides high robustness against with unexpected power line failures. The DONET backbone cable system allows loading up to 3kW (3kVDC / 1A) electric power in operation.

35 3. Science Node The science node is a device with the role of hub that connects node constant to prevent the system from unstable significantly (in an order of ten) from present the backbone cable system to sub-sea instruments. Many of novel power distribution status. This function is essential submarine cable network systems for earthquake technologies are consolidated in the science node development. A for monitoring the condition of entire observatory monitoring which allow only several seismometers hybrid (fiber optic and electric) / high voltage sub-sea wet mate / network. installed in each observation node. Increased demate interface make possible to put on and take off the science number of observatory may be installed by node from backbone cable system. Eight hybrid connectors per a The data transmission control system handle data extending cable from each observation node. science node have been reserved for measurement instruments. link and precise timing / clock control between Using multiple extension fiber-optic cables from The power distribution control, data transmission control, and measurement instrument and terminal equipment. observation node, our design allow maximum precise timing control function in the science node are most critical The STM (Synchronous Transfer Mode) on of 40 observatories from five observation nodes components of DONET development. The power distribution SONET / SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) is connected to backbone submarine cable. In the control system (Figure3) receives 500watts of constant current DC selected to realize the precise time synchronization initial installation of DONET, by optimizing power supplied from the terminal equipment, and distributes 45 requirement. The data link between terminal observatory density and location, we plan to install watts of secondary power output to a measurement instrument equipment and science node is running at 20 observatories distributed densely, covering the as the occasion demands. The secondary power output features a approximately 600Mbit/s. The bidirectional data area from the trench axis to the main rupture area constant current DC power output system to ensure the reliability transmission between measurement instrument of the last Tonankai earthquake. This distribution of sub-sea system and efficiency of power transmission to and science node, is running at 50Mbit/s. precise of observatory enables us to precisely determine measurement equipment. The power distribution control system time synchronization is a key function of science hypocenter of small to large earthquakes and has a mechanism to balance the power consumption of science use of submarine cable system. The synchronous detect relatively small ground deformation in transmission system makes possible the high the seafloor. We evaluated this ability of DONET accurate time synchronization between GPS network by computer simulation. clock on terminal equipment and measurement instrument in seafloor. The timing circuit develops These figures shows results from our simulation. aiming at the accuracy of time synchronization of Distribution of existing land seismic station (blue less than 1microsecond in this project. dots) and DONET observatories (blue triangles). Precision of magnitude 2 earthquake location Measurement Instruments simulated using only land observatories (Left) and both land and DONET observatories (Right), Design of observation network are shown. Hypocenter accuracy better than 5 Observation targets of DONET are micro to large km is shown by gray shaded area and epicenter earthquakes, slow slip of the plate boundary accuracy better than 5 km is shown by red line. seafloor deformation, and Tsunamis that occur Area of reliable hypocenter resolution from only beneath the area of DONET network. Currently, no land observatory data (Left) is only in land. In long-term seafloor observatory exists in this area. the seafloor, it is clear that we cannot expect good Availability of no seafloor data is large limitation accuracy for earthquake depth. Even when we look for us to observe these events in the seafloor. We at epicenter location (not depth of earthquake), area aim, by DONET installation, not only to improve of reliable location (shown by red line boundary) is detection ability of events, but to model these limited in the seafloor. With DONET data, we can events quantitatively with better accuracy. resolve both epicenter and depth of earthquake in Number of observatories for DONET installation the seafloor beneath the DONET network (Right). is limited from technical, financial limitation. By simulating with different DONET observatory We designed our submarine cable observation distribution, we optimized our network so that system to increase the number of observatories area of good hypocenter location is maximized, yet 36 seismometers and pressure gauges. A small version of Kinemetrics Cronos), three types of earthquake has very small amplitude and typically strong motion accelerometers (JAE JA-5 typeIII, observed in frequencies higher than 1 Hz. Large JAE JA-40G, Metrozet TSA-100S), and four types earthquakes show very large acceleration up to 2 of geophones. G or so. On the other hand, slow slip events may be observed between 0.01-0.1 Hz, and even lower In DONET network observation, we aim to observe frequencies such as days or months. In all, dynamic slow slip event by seafloor pressure change. As range and frequency band of DONET observation well to monitor Tsunamis generated in and around target are wide (smaller than 10-9 m/s2 to 2 G) and the network, to monitor ground deformation in broad (from 1/years to 100 Hz). To cover the dynamic vertical direction, quartz pressure gauge, that gives range and frequency band, we plan to combine two depth of seafloor in terms of seafloor pressure, is types of seismometer and three types of pressure used. Quartz pressure gauges are stable over gauges installed in each observatory. Two types years typically better than 0.5 psi/year. Effect of of seismometer are a broadband seismometer to seafloor deformation due to slip events on the cover weak motion in the frequency band of 1/360 plate boundary is usually very small. Therefore, Hz to 100 Hz and a strong motion accelerometer the stability of quartz pressure gauge used is very to cover strong motion in the frequency band from important, and have to be evaluated. We evaluated there is no obvious gap of such area in and around DC to 100 Hz. The three types of pressure gauges quartz pressure gauges for their long-term stability the DONET network. are quartz pressure gauge to observe Tsunamis and in environment similar to the seafloor. We installed seafloor deformation by absolute pressure from quartz pressure gauges in a laboratory, simulating We also evaluated detection ability of ground DC to approximately 1 Hz, a differential pressure seafloor environment by dead weight gauge deformation due to small precursory slip event. gauge to observe broadband seismic waves as and water bath to maintain constant pressure With precision observation of seafloor pressure a small change of seafloor pressure from 1/200 at 4000 psi and constant temperature at 4°C. change in densely distributed seafloor quartz Hz to 20 Hz, and a hydrophone to observe high Manufacturer of tested quartz pressure gauges pressure gauges, we expect to identify occurrence frequency acoustic waves. A differential pressure were Hewlett Packard, Paroscientific, and Clark of small ground deformation. By such observation, gauge is very sensitive and can detect pressure Oilfield Measurement. Two different full-scale slow slip event on the plate boundary may be change of 0.1 Pa or smaller in frequencies 0.02-0.08 sensors, of 10000 psi full-scale and 6000 psi full- detected. An event of moment magnitude 6 slip on Hz, where very low frequency earthquakes are scale from Paroscientific quartz pressure gauge the plate boundary in the seafloor was evaluated known to be observed. for detection by DONET network. Our simulation result suggests that such detection is possible if To determine the seismometers such event occurs below the DONET network, to combine for the DONET and seafloor pressure gauge has resolution of 1 cm observatory, we evaluated or better. Such detection of events in the seafloor noise characteristics of is impossible only with current GPS geodetic seismometers of different observation network which are dense, but only on kind in a vault of Matsushiro land. Seismological Observatory, Japan Meteorological Agency. Instrument Design Evaluated seismic sensors The observation targets of DONET, such as were three types of broadband small to large earthquakes, slop-slip events on seismographs (Streikeisen STS- the plate boundary, Tsunamis, require precision 2, Guralp CMG-3T, prototype 37 were evaluated. The laboratory test for more than will be taken to minimize temperature change of cable bobbin elevator make possible to equip and continuous 150 days period was conducted to pressure gauges. These are the part of actions taken release the cable bobbin together with 10km length determine the type of quartz pressure gauge for the to achieve very low noise observation by the future of extension cable in air and water. The cable DONET observatory. DONET observatory. payout system can control the cable payout speed voluntarily to manage the reasonable cable slack To isolate seismometers from the effect of seafloor Sea Trial correspond to laying course or undulated seafloor current flow, we plan to design the seismometer We’ve compared and evaluated the background terrain. The VBCS compensates the up to 100kg package to enable surfacial burial in the sediment, noise data between the buried type seismometer of buoyancy variation during the cable pay out while the pressure gauge package will be installed and the seafloor type seismometer at the Sea and wind up operation to maintain the mobility in the seafloor. From experience of previous of KUMANO in 2007. To find out what kind of of the ROV in water. In addition to these main seafloor deployments of Tsunami-meters, care influence will occur to the data with different components, cable laying ROV comes to be able conditions (pressure, temperature or underflow). to conduct cable recover operation by equipping The results show that the buried type Seismometer it with a cable traverse actuator. Each component with less background noise than the seafloor actuated by the hydraulic pressure distributed by Seismometer at most condition. With the vertical the ROV hyper dolphin hydraulic interfaces for motion, these two results were the same under a user payload. calm water condition. With the Horizontal motion, the buried Seismometer data showed about 10 Survey Information times quieter than the seafloor Seismometer. In the first year of the DONET project, the location of the observatory has been tentatively determined. Related technologies Then the deep-sea survey and other fundamental examinations related to deployed sensors have 1. Cable Laying ROV been conducted by using JAMSTEC’s research The cable laying ROV is remodeling of Japanese vessels and deep-sea vehicles. Natural events such research ROV Hyper Dolphin for loading 10km as slumps, slides and turbidity currents on steep, length of extension cable and make possible to sediment covered slopes, and earthquake events laying a cable between any two points on seafloor. are potentially risks to the DONET in the deep- The cable laying system is composed of three sea area in the lifetime. Both deep-sea survey and main components these are cable bobbin elevator, risk assessment are required in order to find better tension controlled extension cable pay out system, observatory’s sites and safer submarine cable route. and VBCS (variable buoyancy control system). The Sensors’ installation tests have been also done since 2007. Their results could contribute to the actual sensors’ development. We continue to carry out our surveys before deployment of DONET.

Click here to visit the Project DONET website. 38 s you are aware, an 8.8-magnitude earth- cepcion Oceanographic Relief Fund with our bank, Foreign wires: quake struck just off the coast of Chile on SunTrust, so that we can all make a difference. SWIFT Code: SNTRUS3A ASaturday, February 27 and caused cata- Deposits to this fund can be made in three differ- Account number: 1000109780469. strophic damage to the country. The University of ent ways. IRS Tax receipts will be issued for all do- Name of account: Concepcion Oceanographic Concepcion, currently Chile’s leading institution in nations. Relief Fund. oceanography, was hit extremely hard by the earth- Bank Name: SunTrust quake and is trying to re-build their oceanographic 1. By check. Bank Address: 1445 New York Avenue, NW research and academic operations affected by this Make check out to Concepcion Oceanographic Washington, DC 20005 event. Relief Fund and forward to Ocean Leadership. Tammy Hancock will be handling the deposits I am sure that whatever amount you deem appro- The School of Natural Sciences and Oceanography of these funds and is the contact for any ques- priate to donate will be greatly appreciated by our facilities on the main campus will need significant tions about the account. Chilean colleagues. help. The field station in Dichato was destroyed 1201New York Avenue, NW Fourth Floor with the Kai-Kai, the school’s coastal vessel, Washington, DC 20005 Thanks for your consideration. stranded on land. Laboratory and field equipment and instruments are lost or have been destroyed 2. By credit card. Robert B. Gagosian, Ph.D. both at the Marine Station at Dichato and the main A link on the Ocean Leadership web site is cur- President and CEO campus in Concepcion. The pictures of Dichato rently being set up for this purpose. It is an- Consortium for Ocean Leadership are heart wrenching. The University of Concepcion ticipated that this link will be active within a is still trying to take a detailed inventory of their week. equipment, but needless to say, a lot of work and money is needed to recover from this disaster. 3.. By wire transfer. Domestic wires: The faculty and students of the University of Con- ACH routing number: 061000104 cepcion are known to many of us as colleagues Account number: 1000109780469. and friends. They need our help. Many of you Name of account: Concepcion Oceanographic have expressed interest on donating money to help Relief Fund provide an opportunity for them to rebuild their Bank Name: SunTrust research and education infrastructure. The Con- Bank Address: 1445 New York Avenue, NW 39 sortium for Ocean Leadership has set up the Con- Washington, DC 20005 ENTELEC 2010

40 Amanda Prudden he ENTELEC 2010 Conference & Expo is ENTELEC will soon be offering online training returning to Houston, Texas for the 82nd and education to its members. As 2010 continues, Tannual event. Located at the George R. industry personnel can look for more 101 training Brown Convention Center, the show gathers 1500 on the ENTELEC website at www.entelec.org pipeline and gas technology professionals for quality education, technical training and an exhibit “ENTELEC is the avenue for individuals hall featuring more than 200 companies. This who work and support the energy field to share year’s event will be held April 13-15, 2010. information, learn about new technology while integrating with older equipment and systems, Based on feedback from attendees and vendors, having the opportunity to meet others throughout the 2009-2010 ENTELEC Board of Directors’ have the industry - both vendors and corporate added more educational opportunities in addition members - who can help answer questions/solve to more interactive discussion and roundtable slots problems and expand the individual’s knowledge. during the 3-day event. The conference theme, The conference and seminar format allows the “Open Roads, Open Minds, Open Discussions,” participant to obtain information and knowledge evolved as Director’s decided to “open” the from others while having time to experience first- conference up for more opportunities to talk and hand new equipment and hardware.” Richard discuss amongst industry peers. Nation, Copano Energy.

“Our attendees have told us they come to ENTELEC Technical Sessions to discuss ideas, find solutions to problems and & Professional Development Training meet with vendors to provide those solutions,” said ENTELEC President, Kenny Brazzale. “We Attendees can take advantage of the energy want to offer them more opportunities for these industry’s most comprehensive technical discussions to take place. Our directors’ have conference with seminars, round tables and worked hard this year to make subtle changes that discussions that focus on real-world challenges, will benefit both the attendee and exhibitor.” applications and will provide take-away solutions. Attendees can also focus on sessions dealing with The ENTELEC Conference & Exposition provides rapidly evolving technologies such as the growing an incredible opportunity to take advantage of enterprise security issues of today. cutting edge technical education and training, hands on exhibits and product demonstrations, and The ENTELEC education program has been “re- industry networking. ENTELEC is a resource that engineered” to include open discussions and will increase the attendee’s industry knowledge more interaction with peers and vendors that will and advance their professional careers. provide attendees with more information, options and eventually, more solutions. “Participating as an ENTELEC Committee and Board member has given me an opportunity to This year’s technical sessions include: “When do work with and get to know some great people in Solar Electric & Utility Back-up Systems Make the SCADA industry as well as the opportunity to Sense?”, “Areas for Redundancy in Ethernet give back to the SCADA community. Attending the systems with focus on IEC 61850 Applications”, annual ENTELEC show is a great way to network “SCADA Communications Security- with your peers, and it helps you keep up-to- Authentication, Encryption, Integration”, “Tower date with what others are doing.” Greg Vaughn, 101”, ”Integrating Field Infrastructure Using 3.65 41 Kinder-Morgan GHz”, “The Evolution of Data Collection for Gas Measurement”, “Improving Pipeline Integrity & NEW – Professional Development Sessions balance that can be achieved between work and Performance through Advance Leak Detection and the rest of our life? Or is that idea kind of like a Control Systems” and “The Future of Mobile VPN ENTELEC is expanding beyond just the technical unicorn—nice to think about but never going to Technology: 2010 and Beyond” sessions to feature two professional development happen in reality? The reality is that most people classes. strive to achieve the beneficial outcomes of a A complete Schedule of Events can be found at the healthy Work-life Balance but there is not a perfect, ENTELEC website at www.entelec.org What’s Wrong With THAT Generation?!? one-size fits all, generic formula that defines what the balance looks like for everyone! Work-life SCADA Security: What’s on the Horizon For the first time in history, four generations are balance looks different for each person because we sharing the workplace at the same time. For many all have different priorities and factors influencing On Wednesday, April 14th Al Rivero of Telvent will people, it does not seem like there is enough our lives! In this session, participants will have the lead a panel discussing “SCADA Security: What’s room for such different perspectives to co-exist opportunity to evaluate their own set of priorities, on the Horizon”. On Thursday, April 15th, the peacefully and this sentiment is creating one of the consider how the choices they make support their highly anticipated Roundtables return. Attendees biggest corporate challenges of our times. While defined priorities and to use principles of personal can spend the afternoon with fellow industry peers there are many differences among the Veterans/ discipline and accountability to achieve their own at either the SCADA or Telecom Roundtable. Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, X-ers and Y-ers that unique balance of “work” and “life”. can cause confusion, aggravation and frustration, GE Digital Energy - MDS Wireless Technical there are also many unique qualities that promote Exhibit Hall Training Lab at ENTELEC 2010 innovation, cooperation and collaboration if we can get past the differences. This high-energy, The ENTELEC exhibit hall allows attendees to be Maximize the investment and productivity of experiential learning session guides differences among the first to see the latest products released in your wireless infrastructure by increasing your each generation possesses and learn practical the marketplace. Over 200 manufacturers, dealers knowledge of GE Digital Energy’s MDS wireless ways to focus on those in a positive way to achieve and distributors will offer a variety of products solutions at the ENTELEC 2010 Technical Training successful interpersonal and business results. and services that serve the oil, gas and utilities Lab. This experimental, hands-on seminar will industries. This year’s exhibitors currently include: provide in-depth technical training on GE MDS Balance Schmalance–Is There Really Such a Telvent, Motorola, GE Digital Energy – MDS, Sprint wireless equipment, allow participants to engage Thing as Work-life Balance? Nextel, Honeywell, Evolution SCADA, Emerson in real-world application discussions with industry Process Management and many, many more.The and product experts, and facilitate peer learning The term “Work-life Balance” seems like an exhibit hall is open Wednesday from 10:00am to through collaborative idea sharing. oxymoron to many people! Is there really a perfect 5:00 pm and Thursday from 10:30 am – 2:30 pm. 42 Steve Uzzell, a former photographer for the famed magazine, National Geographic, will present the keynote address on Wednesday, April 14th at 9:00 am.

Great photographers are right brain thinkers; they have a way of visualizing their problem and arriving at their solution. What can we learn from this? “Open roads, Open minds” is Steve Uzzell’s way of showing how he thinks we can learn from it by relating his decision-making to all creative problem solving. Using his striking photographs as illustrations of his metaphor about possibility and creativity, he invites to take advantage of his experience and vision, providing more than a little magic along the way.

As ENTELEC responds to the changes our attendees have requested, the 2010 ENTELEC Conference & Expo will now feature more opportunities for “Open Discussions” between vendors, attendees and the industry.

Launched in Denver, the highly successful Vendor Shoot- Out event brings together vendors and attendees for an open forum discussion on problems, solutions, changes and product capabilities. It’s a candid discussion with vendors on their products and services and how they are used in “real-world” formats.

With all these offerings, the show will provide attendees with even more compelling reasons to return to Houston for the 82nd Annual Conference & Expo. Professionals interested in more Conference & Expo information, or membership information for ENTELEC can visit their website at www.entelec.org.

Amanda Prudden is the Association Manager for the Energy Telecommunications & Electrical Association. She has worked with ENTELEC for five years in the areas of membership growth, conference and exhibition management, training seminars and marketing. Prior to joining ENTELEC, Ms. Prudden worked at the corporate office for 43 Omni Hotels Corp. 44 On Issue #48 Cabling. In the past I note that new cable systems were often Theodore Vail, president of AT&T built, installed and operated in 1907 proposed “Universal by consortiums. Especially, Service” where the landline phone noting the glut that formed charges were structured so that around the year 2000 there were phone service to a home at then many individual companies built end of a 3 mile roadway can have systems hoping to be the only the same quality at the same supplier between locations only price as someone else living in a to find that they were one among multi-story apartment building in several and their predictions a city pays. This was supported by of growth were reduced by the a government supervised monopoly competitors often causing that allowed small “overcharges” bankruptcy, etc. the thought of in densely serviced areas that returning to consortiums seems provided funds to connect rural advantageous. To be simplistic, areas. One might think that part of a lot of money is still a similar principle could be a lot of money. Loosing the bid applied to high speed internet yields nothing. Consortiums seem service though it runs against to lead to better planning and the current corporate thinking of conservation of resources. never providing anything at what might be considered a loss let -Rich Riggs alone at a reduced profit. ***** At least in the US much high speed internet service is supplied by Guy, I read and enjoyed “Travels cable TV companies. Since they with Charlie.” are already locally regulated monopolies the principle of -Chris Leste universal service could be applied to them as well as the requirement of providing internet service, though that requirement may require upgrading to a 2-way system. The technology exists so only the will is required.

I’d like to add a comment to Jean Devos’ thoughts about a 45 “Green Attitude” in Undersea ENTELEC 13-15 April 2010 Houston, Texas, USA Conferences www.entelec.org SubOptic 2010 11-14 May 2010 Yokohama, Japan www.suboptic.org

Submarine Networks World Africa 2010 24-27 May 2010 Johannesburg, South Africa www.terrapinn.com/2010/submarineza/

International Cable Protection Committee 1-3 June 2010 Mauritius www.iscpc.org

Submarine Networks World 2010 1-3 September 2010 Singapore www.terrapinn.com/2010/submarine

Offshore Communications World Asia 2010 28-29 September 2010 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia www.terrapinn.com/2010/ofc

46 My friend, committee of a handful of industry senior figures that we managed to put in place, giving the event a kind of Letter to a Let me tell you a few things about SubOptic and international blessing. some little things behind SubOptic. A few years later, I tried to convince ATTSSI, namely The history of SubOptic can be modestly compared Bill Carter, to grasp the ball. Things were not ripe over to the history of the “World Expos.” The very first world there. So we did it again and that was Versailles 93. The Friend expo took place in London in 1851, followed by another temptation was there to establish Paris as the permanent one in the same location in 1862. England was then place for the event, but at the closing ceremony I was the cradle of the industrial revolution. When the French able to announce that the next event would be hosted Emperor Napoleon 3 decided to organize the 1867 world and sponsored by SSI. Bill would not let anybody expo in Paris with the name “exposition de l ’Art et de else organize the following event. SSI could no longer l’Industrie,” the idea was clearly to promote the French remain as the sole supplier of ATT. Deregulation, industry and to show the world that Paris was a capital privatization! city, second to none, especially London. The Russian Tsar and many heads of state were invited to the I very well remember some of my face to face expo, including Queen Victoria. The Eiffel tower was discussions with Bill, who had the vision of the future constructed for the 1889 world expo, and the message high capacity global network. Such vision was requiring conveyed by its design was crystal clear. No surprise, a new SSI with the ambition to “cable the planet.” this year, 2010, a world expo is taking place in Shanghai! Remember AC1, Africa One, FLAG, and Global Crossing. And that was San Francisco 97, where it was In a somewhat similar and logical manner, the very announced that the next event, in 2001 will be hosted first submarine cable conference was actually organized by… KDD scs! in London in 1979 by STC and IEEE. It was a good, modest, technical meeting. The event had no message, Yes, my Friend, in 1993 Doctor Niiro would not let and no hidden ambition attached to it. anybody else grasp the ball. It was his hour! He had a vision and a legitimate ambition for his country that My secret idea, when we launched the first event in had, in his mind, for too long played in the backyard. 1986, was to put forward “Alcatel Submarcom” as a Time for SCS to be a front runner: SMW3, APCN, key actor. At that time, Submarcom was perceived as TPC5, PC1, and finally TAT14! That was Kyoto 2001! a second tier player compared to STC and ATT. The choice of Versailles, a prestigious symbol of power, done Now I can hear your question my friend: Things are purposely to convey the message, without having to say now different? it too loudly. You were there my Friend, and I am sure Yes, very different now, and I'm not sure I can read you remember the concert in the Royal Chapel “Musique and analyze it the same way I just did here above. It à la Cour des Bourbons!” seems to me that neither ASN neither Tyco, the so Believe me or not, I had an even more hidden target dominant players, felt the need to invest so much time in the back of my mind: to raise the visibility of the and efforts in such an event. Hosting Monaco 2004 and submarine cable activity within Alcatel, and especially Baltimore 2007 was a kind of statutory obligation. And to the eyes of the top corporate management. Submarcom it is probably the case for NEC and Fujitsu in the coming was sitting between two companies within the group, Yokohama 2010. They are doing what the community with a very different culture, the cable side and the is expecting from them. And, to take it positively, that electronic side. Nobody, at the highest level, had a good could very well be the sign that that our industry has knowledge of what Submarcom was all about. SubOptic reached maturity. SubOptic is now really the industry 86 did this job very well! gathering, not any more a tool in the hand of a few ambitious guys! And I did two little things which ended up being extremely valuable. We gave the event a name: SubOptic What do you think? 86. The activity was living a transition from the analog/ coaxial era to the digital/optical period. By this simple fact we had created a concept. Also important was the 47 by Jean Devos Advertisers Index ISSN 1948-3031 Issue Themes: ENTELEC www.entelec.org 43

January: Regional Outlook Global Marine www.globalmarinesystems.com 11 March: Finance & Legal Nexans www.nexans.com 20 May: Subsea Capacity OFS www.ofsoptics.com 4 July: Subsea Technology September: Offshore Energy Parkburn www.parkburn.com 10 November: Defense & Non-traditional SubOptic 2010 www.suboptic.org Cable Systems 16 Advertising enquiries: WFN Strategies www.wfnstrategies.com 44

Sales Coordinator Xtera www.xtera.com 24 Kristian Nielsen Tel: +1 (703) 444-0845 Email: [email protected]

Sales Representative, Europe & AFRICA Wilhelm Sicking Tel: 0201-779861 Email: [email protected]

Sales Representative, North & Central America Ben Skidmore Tel: +1 (972) 587-9064 Email: [email protected]

Sales Representative, Asia Pacific Michael Yee Tel: +65 9616 8080 Email: [email protected]

48 Copyright © 2010 WFN Strategies by Kevin G. Summers

y wife's grandparents held a huge marking the 150th anniversary of the Great We have big plans for SubTel Forum in the party to celebrate their 50th wedding Eastern? Or Guy Arnos' travelog as he trekked coming year, and I hope you'll join us for our Manniversary a few years back. They across Angola for three weeks? next 50 issues. rented out a banquet hall in Williamsburg, Virginia, and invited brothers, sisters, children, It's been an honor to work with some of the Please take a minute to drop me a line. I'd grandchildren, and my own daughter who leading voices in our industry as they labored love to hear your thoughts on SubTel Forum, was, at the time, their only great grandchild. to delve into our theme on any given issue. I the state of the industry, or anything else you We had a hell of a time ringing in their golden can tell you that our authors put an incredible want to talk about. Just click the letter to the anniversary, and every single one of us, from amount of effort into their stories, and without editor icon below. And please take our survey, the older brother who lived through the Great them, SubTel Forum couldn't exist. I'd like to which is also linked on this page. Depression to my daughter, realized that it's raise a glass to every one of them, especially my important to mark occasions such as this with feature authors Jean Devos and Stewart Ash, Finally, thank you to all of our readers for a celebration. who provide content for every issue. Thank supporting SubTel Forum. We couldn't do it you all for contributing to SubTel Forum. without you. This is the 50th issue of Submarine Telecoms Where do we go from here? Forum magazine. We've had some Our industry has certainly seen some ups and memorable articles downs in the last decade, but the global desire in that time. Like the for broadband capacity is only increasing. cableship captain that Some areas still have too much capacity, while rescued some passengers from a sinking ship, other regions are starving for any connection or the award-winning Sherry Sontag, who at all. No matter where the current industry wrote about the U.S. military tapping Soviet hot spots are, SubTel Forum will be there. If submarine cables during the Cold War. How the market spikes, or tanks, we'll be there to about Bill Burns and his fascinating article bring you the latest news and developments.

49 What do you think? Click on the Letter To The Editor icon and drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you.