How are Submarine Cables Transforming Global Connectivity with Enhanced User Experience? (2024)

Highlights:

• Introduction
• Promising developments in submarine cables
• Notable acquisition of Nokia to boost the use of these cables

In this growing age of wireless connectivity, submarine cables play a key role in maintaining a stable network. These are fiber optics cables that connect several countries globally through cables laid under the ocean. They are capable of transmitting huge amounts of data rapidly from one point to another with a significant speed. Mostly, these cables are covered in silicone gel and sheathed in different layers of plastics, copper, nylon, and steel wiring. This multilayer sheathing protects the cords from wildlife, fishing, anchors, extreme weather, and various other hazards. Specialized ships are used to transport and carefully lay cables on the seabed, ensuring the process is carried out slowly and precisely.

Significant expansion of submarine cable infrastructure worldwide

In the past few years, submarine cable systems have emerged as an important component of global telecommunication infrastructure. It has undergone significant transformation, influenced by technological advancements and the increasing demand for high-speed internet connectivity. One of the most notable trends in the industry is the continuous expansion of submarine cable networks across the globe. Many leading telecommunication companies and internet leaders have started investing in strengthening submarine cable infrastructure to connect continents and improve global connectivity.

Furthermore, many manufacturers have started focusing on the development of submarine cables with higher fiber counts and greater data transmission capabilities to meet the emerging needs of modern businesses. Nowadays, organizations are looking for high-capacity submarine cables that increase the bandwidth requirement of cloud services, streaming platforms, and other emerging technologies such as 5G and IoT devices. In addition, with the growing trend of embracing sustainability, many industrialists have started connecting offshore renewable energy projects, such as offshore wind farms and tidal energy installations, to reduce carbon footprints. These cables facilitate the transfer of renewable energy from offshore generation sites to coastal areas and urban centers, enabling plants to embrace clean energy.

On the other hand, the integration of submarine cable systems with data centers is gaining huge popularity these days. This initiative enables numerous telecommunication companies and cloud service providers to significantly improve their overall user experience. By connecting submarine cables directly to the data centers near coastal regions, the firms can reduce latency and improve the performance of their services. In addition, these cables are highly beneficial in offering security and resilience against emerging cyber threats and physical disruptions. This is the reason why many leading manufacturers, operators, and industry stakeholders are investing in cutting-edge encryption technologies, and robust infrastructure to safeguard submarine cable networks against potential risks.

Such promising use cases of these fiber optics cables have increased the growth of the submarine cables market significantly. The industry is predicted to generate a revenue of $14 billion by 2032 and rise at a CAGR of 6.6% from 2023 to 2032.

Nokia’s pioneering move to use submarine cables for enhancing network API solutions

In November 2024, Nokia, a renowned tech provider announced its acquisition of the R&D unit of Rapid, the leading API hub. Under this agreement, the companies aimed to boost the development of network API solutions and ecosystems, promoting the capabilities of 5G and 4G networks. The companies also declared their partnership with Islalink, a leading submarine fiber telecom infrastructure provider. With this initiative, Nokia plans to achieve a record 800Gbps capacity over the submarine cable between Greece and Italy.

Moreover, with this initiative, Nokia has also envisioned strengthening its API network to gain a leading position in developing API ecosystems of operators, independent software vendors, and systems integrators to use 5G and 4G network capabilities and generate revenue from network assets and core capabilities. The company aims to empower operators with active control over API usage and exposure by integrating Rapid’s API technology into its “Network as Code Platform.” According to Raghav Sahgal, the president of cloud and network services at Nokia, this acquisition has enabled the company to bring a robust API infrastructure platform to accelerate API-related product development.

Endnote

The landscape of submarine cables has witnessed a notable revolution due to the increasing demand for high-speed internet connectivity across several industries. Moreover, the continuous advancements in submarine cable technology and the rising collaborations among industry leaders are expected to create wider possibilities across the sector in the coming years.

To learn more about the emerging trends in submarine cables, talk to our industry specialists today!

Related Post