It’s Going to Take $3 Billion to Ensure Submarine Cable Repair Ships Can Keep the World Connected

A new report details what is needed to sustain current service levels and reduce repair delays for the undersea cables that carry global internet traffic.

As the backbone of the global internet, submarine cable infrastructure is seeing a surge in investment—but not in its maintenance.

A new report by TeleGeography and Infra-Analytics projects a 48% net increase in total cable kilometers to be deployed in the world's oceans by 2040, driven by rising bandwidth demands and the need for network redundancy and resilience. But by the same year, approximately two-thirds of cable maintenance ships will have reached the end of their service life, with about half of the global fleet of cable ships also approaching this milestone.

An Increase in Submarine Cable Faults

As the number of submarine cables in service increases, cable breaks, or “faults,” will likely increase, raising concerns about whether there are enough maintenance ships to maintain service quality for the global internet. According to the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), there are currently an average of 200 cable faults reported annually worldwide.

What the Submarine Cable Experts Say

Mike Constable, co-author and Principal of Infra-Analytics:

"Governments globally are increasingly prioritizing the security and resilience of critical subsea infrastructure. Nonetheless, geopolitical influences combined with an aging maintenance fleet highlight the necessity for enhanced government-industry coordination, the development of new business models to attract asset investment, and global collaboration in order to establish an effective and sustainable maintenance ecosystem."

Alan Mauldin, Research Director at TeleGeography:

“This study illuminates the urgent need to realign investment in the infrastructure that is the backbone powering today’s digital economy with maintenance capabilities. Our goal with this report is to equip all stakeholders with the knowledge they need to support a more secure, resilient, and future-proof cable ecosystem.”

Maintaining the World's Subsea Cables

Meeting the challenges of the rapidly expanding submarine cable ecosystem and an aging cable ship fleet will require an investment of roughly $3 billion to sustain current service levels and avoid repair delays. This would entail the acquisition of 15 replacement ships and five additional ships to serve the global subsea internet infrastructure.

Get The Future of Submarine Cable Maintenance report here. 

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About TeleGeography

TeleGeography is a telecommunications data provider delivering trusted, independent analysis to telecom service providers, large enterprises, government agencies, and other research firms. Since 1989, telecom decision-makers have turned to TeleGeography for unbiased industry data that helps them gain a competitive advantage.  

About Infra-Analytics

Infra-Analytics is a boutique strategic advisory consultancy serving investment banks, private equity, infrastructure funds and other organisations within the digital infrastructure and subsea cable industry sector.