Submarine cables and the oceans: connecting the world DRAFT Submarine cables and the oceans: connecting the world UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre International Cable Protection Committee Ltd (ICPC) 219 Huntingdon Road PO Box 150 Cambridge, CB3 0DL Lymington, SO41 6WA United Kingdom United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1223 277314 Tel: +44 (0) 1590 681673 Fax: +44 (0) 1223 277136 Fax: +44 (0) 870 432 7761 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.unep-wcmc.org Website: www.iscpc.org The United Nations Environment Programme World The International Cable Protection Committee Ltd (ICPC) Con servation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is the is a non-profit organization that facilitates the exchange of biodiversity assess ment and biodiversity policy support technical, legal and environmental information con- arm of the United Nations Environment Programme cern ing submarine cable installation, maintenance and (UNEP), the world’s foremost inter governmental envi ron - protection. It has over 100 members representing tele com - mental organization. The Centre has been in operation for muni cation and power companies, government agen cies over 25 years, combining scientific research with prac - and scientific organizations from more than 50 countries, tical policy advice. and encourages cooperation with other users of the seabed. ©ICPC Ltd/UNEP/UNEP-WCMC, 2009 CITATION Carter L., Burnett D., Drew S., Marle G., Hagadorn L., ISBN: 978-0-9563387-2-3 Bartlett-McNeil D., and Irvine N. (2009). Submarine Cables and the Oceans – Connecting the World. UNEP-WCMC AUTHORS Biodiversity Series No. 31. ICPC/UNEP/UNEP-WCMC. Lionel Carter (Introduction and Chapters 3, 5, 6, 8), Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. URLs [email protected] http://www.unep-wcmc.org/resources/publications/ Douglas Burnett (Chapter 4), Squire, Sanders & Dempsey UNEP_WCMC_bio_series/31.aspx L.L.P, New York, USA. [email protected] http://www.iscpc.org/publications/icpc-unep_report.pdf Stephen Drew (Chapter 7), Tyco Telecommunications, New Jersey, USA. [email protected] For all correspondence relating to this report please contact: Graham Marle (Introduction), Qualtrack Ltd, Lymington, [email protected] or [email protected] UK. [email protected] Lonnie Hagadorn (Chapters 2, 3), formerly Flag Telecom, A Banson production USA. [email protected] Design and layout Banson Deborah Bartlett-McNeil (Chapter 1), formerly Global Printed in the UK by The Lavenham Press Marine Systems Limited, Chelmsford, Essex, UK. [email protected] Nigel Irvine (Chapter 5), Verizon, Reading, UK. UNEP promotes [email protected] environmentally sound practices, globally and in its own DISCLAIMER activities. This report is printed on FSC The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views or policies paper, using vegetable-based inks and of ICPC, UNEP or contributory organizations. The designations employed and the presentations do not imply the expressions of any opinion other eco-friendly practices. Our whatsoever on the part of ICPC, UNEP or contributory organizations distribution policy aims to reduce concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area and its UNEP’s carbon footprint. authority, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Foreword here are many things and services in our everyday life space and resources to the limit – or even beyond. In the that we take for granted, and telecommunications is light of the actual and potential pressures and impacts this Tone of them. We surf the internet, send emails to creates on marine biodiversity and ecosystems (including friends and colleagues abroad, talk to family members in the services and functions they provide for humankind and foreign countries over the phone, book airline seats and life on Earth), governments and international organizations make banking transactions without actually realizing and have recognized that there is an urgent need for wise appreciating the sophisticated technology that enables us conservation and protection in concert with the sustainable to do so. management and use of the oceans and their resources. There is a common misconception that nowadays most Even the placement and operation of submarine tele- international communications are routed via satellites, when communications cables, as one of the oldest and arguably in fact well over 95 per cent of this traffic is actually routed one of the most important uses of the sea, has to be via submarine fibre-optic cables. Data and voice transfer via considered in this process. In order to focus and guide these these cables is not only cheaper, but also much quicker than deliberations and decision making, an objective, factual via satellite. description of this industry and the interaction of submarine The first submarine cable – a copper-based telegraph telecommunications cables with the marine environment is cable – was laid across the Channel between the United needed: information that the reader will find in this report. Kingdom and France in 1850. Today, more than a million We hope that this report will contribute to and streng- kilometres of state-of-the-art submarine fibre-optic cables then the ongoing exchange of information, mutual edu- span the oceans, connecting continents, islands and cation and cooperation between all stakeholders, so that, countries around the world. Arguably, the international sub- despite increasing technological change and environmental marine cable network provides one of the most important pressures, we can continue to share the seabed in harmony infra structural foundations for the development of whole for the benefit of all. socie ties and nations within a truly global economy. At the beginning of the submarine cable era, there was a widely held belief that the riches of the ocean were too vast ever to be affected by humans. Apart from shipping and regional fishing, there were few other uses of the sea and Ibrahim Thiaw most of the marine environment (the little that was known) Director, Division of Environmental Policy was still relatively pristine. Implementation, UNEP Today, the situation is vastly different. Human activities, directly or indirectly, have affected and altered all environ- Jon Hutton ments world-wide, including the 71 per cent of the planet Director, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre that is ocean. The number and the intensity of maritime uses have increased dramatically and will continue to do so in the Mick Green future, stretching the capacity of the oceans and their finite Chairman, International Cable Protection Committee 3 Acknowledgements The authors are indebted to Stefan Hain for his encour- agement, expertise and general advice. Without that contribution, this novel project would not have happened. The authors gratefully acknowledge the external reviewers, Robert Beckman, David Billet, Kristina Gjerde, Malcolm Gilberd, Alan Green, Michelle Dow, Don Hussong, Jihyun Lee, Claus Nielsen, Myron Nordquist, Alain Polloni, Neil Rondorf, John Tibbles, Dean Veverka, Bob Wargo, Robin Warner, Nigel Weaver and Ian Wright, whose expert com- mentaries and critiques improved the manuscript versions of this report. We are also indebted to those individuals, companies and institutions who generously contributed images, each of which is attributed to the contributor in the caption text. Those photographs and graphics are a fundamental part of the report. Finally, we acknowledge UNEP and ICPC for providing the opportunity for this col- laborative venture. Although from different cultures, both organizations recog nize the value of providing an evidence- based synopsis of the interactions between the marine environment and the submarine cable network. In that context, this report could be viewed as the first step towards a knowledge base to guide future management and use of the marine environment. The views presented in this report, together with any errors or inconsistencies, are the responsibility of the authors. 4 Contents FOREWORD.................................................................................................................................................................................3 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................................7 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................................................................8 CHAPTER 1: A HISTORY OF SUBMARINE CABLES .................................................................................................................11 Telegraph era......................................................................................................................................................................................11 Telephonic era ................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Fibre-optic era....................................................................................................................................................................................15 CHAPTER 2: INSIDE SUBMARINE CABLES.............................................................................................................................17 Designed for the deep....................................................................................................................................................................17