Latest news with #subseaCables
Arabian Business
09-07-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
AI boom strains global subsea cable networks, forces operators to seek new ocean routes
A surge in data traffic driven by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services is placing unprecedented strain on the world's subsea cable infrastructure, forcing network operators to explore new oceanic corridors to deliver connectivity. Subsea cables carry over 99 per cent of the world's internet traffic, forming the invisible backbone of everything from streaming video and financial transactions to cloud workloads and military communications. But as generative AI models and hyperscale data centres drive exponential growth in demand, legacy systems are showing signs of saturation — particularly across well-established routes like the North Atlantic. 'AI workloads are placing immense pressure on global data infrastructure,' Carl Grivner, CEO of FLAG, one of the world's largest privately owned subsea cable operators, told Arabian Business. 'The current systems just can't keep up, and that's creating an urgent need for high-capacity, low-latency subsea networks.' FLAG, formerly Global Cloud Xchange, operates a global cable system spanning Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States. The company says it is actively targeting new cable corridors across underserved and high-growth regions, including Southeast Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East, where it sees long-term strategic opportunity. 'We're looking at new corridors — places like the Transpacific — which are critical for the next wave of growth,' Grivner said. 'We focus on markets that are growing with the need for digital infrastructure. If we get this right, we don't just meet technical demand but also ensure equitable connectivity, so that all people have reliable access to the internet.' Hyperscaler disruption The rise of hyperscaler technology firms like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft is reshaping the architecture of subsea connectivity. Rather than joining traditional telecom-led consortiums, many of these companies are now building and owning their own cables, creating private, purpose-built systems tailored to their cloud and AI infrastructure needs. Google has led the charge, followed by Meta, which continues to back consortium-based builds, while Amazon and Microsoft pursue targeted investments in specific geographies. While these moves are redrawing the global data map, they also risk reinforcing bandwidth inequalities. 'Hyperscalers are moving fast,' Grivner said. 'It's a challenge to keep up, but we adapt by being agile, forming strategic partnerships and navigating complex regulatory environments, particularly in economies with large wealth gaps where the digital divide presents the greatest growth potential.' While hyperscalers dominate transoceanic traffic across mature routes, FLAG is positioning itself as a complementary player in emerging corridors. The company recently secured $340 million in refinancing to support the buildout of new cable landing stations, edge data centres and bespoke connectivity solutions aimed at enterprise and carrier clients. Middle East as a rising digital hub One area of particular focus for FLAG is the Middle East, where national governments and sovereign wealth funds are investing heavily in digital infrastructure. FLAG has deployed new regional routes — including its Gulf-European Transit and Saudi Transit paths — to strengthen connections between the GCC and Europe. 'Our presence in the Middle East is unmatched, powered by our FALCON system, which boasts over 20 landing points throughout the region — including direct connections in every GCC country,' Grivner said. The Gulf's growing role as a digital crossroads is accelerating, as countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE seek to localise data, develop cloud regions, and enhance digital sovereignty. While FLAG did not name specific sovereign partners, it confirmed that new deployments in the region are active and ongoing. The Middle East's transformation into a global data hub mirrors wider shifts in subsea investment priorities. According to industry estimates, the global subsea cable market is projected to reach $30.9 billion in 2025 and grow to $56.9 billion by 2035. Yet this boom brings with it new challenges, including geopolitical risk, climate exposure and ageing maintenance fleets. Fragile infrastructure Despite their critical role, subsea cables remain surprisingly vulnerable. Around 200 faults occur globally each year, mostly due to accidental damage by fishing vessels and ships' anchors. Meanwhile, a recent industry report warned of a $3 billion shortfall in investment for cable repair ships, many of which are now decades old and stretched beyond capacity. Grivner argues that the industry must move beyond simply adding more cables. Instead, it needs to embrace system-level integration by bringing together subsea networks, edge computing, and smart routing platforms to ensure more resilient, intelligent infrastructure. 'The real opportunity is integration and convergence,' he said. 'Subsea cables, edge data centres, and intelligent platforms need to work together. That's how we move data faster and smarter.' In many regions, particularly across parts of Africa, South Asia and the Pacific Islands, infrastructure remains highly fragmented, making it difficult to meet the growing demand for AI, IoT and cloud services. Grivner believes the private sector has a role to play in closing these gaps. 'The world doesn't just need more bandwidth,' he said. 'It needs smarter, integrated systems that turn raw connectivity into scalable platforms for innovation.' FLAG's growth strategy is firmly tied to the evolution of global data flows, which are increasingly shaped by AI models, decentralised applications and real-time analytics. As cloud providers continue to localise operations, demand is growing for high-availability, low-latency routes that bypass congested hubs. 'Our infrastructure is designed to support the next wave of AI, cloud and IoT technologies — not just in major hubs, but in the places that have been defined as future cloud regions,' Grivner said. With its focus on network diversity and geographic flexibility, FLAG says it is building a system designed for both resilience and reach, particularly in areas that have historically been neglected by global investment. 'We're focused on the places that could be deemed hard to navigate,' Grivner said. 'We firmly believe that universal connectivity is not just a technological goal, but a fundamental human right — and essential to facilitating global trade and prosperity.'
Irish Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Japan expresses concern over security of subsea cables off the Irish coast
Japan has expressed concern about the security of subsea cables off the Irish coast, seeking reassurance from the Taoiseach that the Government was taking adequate steps to protect them. During a meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday, prime minister Shigeru Ishiba also raised the issue of cybersecurity . 'I explained to him that two years ago we had a national forum on modern-day security challenges, and how we saw our priority as protecting subsea cables, developing stronger resilience there, and also in terms of cybersecurity,' Micheál Martin said after the meeting. 'We both agreed that we would continue that conversation because in the world of cybersecurity, collaboration is essential, as he said himself, and we agree with that. I think our officials will engage further in terms of expertise and knowledge around that cybersecurity space.' Japanese companies have doubled their footprint in Ireland over the past decade with significant investments in technology, life sciences, financial services and engineering. Mr Ishiba referred specifically to the activity of Russian fishing vessels close to the interconnector between Britain and Ireland and to subsea cables used for data transmission. READ MORE 'He said that Ireland was a very important technology centre with significant traffic conducted through those subsea cables,' the Taoiseach said. 'I indicated to him that we have taken quite a number of measures. We have a national cybersecurity centre. We have an individually tailored plan agreed with Nato , for example, in respect of cybersecurity co-operation and in terms of subsea cables. And also we're part of the Pesco projects within the European Union in terms of cybersecurity and again, subsea cables, building up expertise and knowledge.' The Taoiseach opened the meeting by reaffirming Ireland's commitment to nuclear disarmament and the belief that war and conflict should be avoided 'at all costs'. He told Mr Ishiba that his visit to Hiroshima on Friday would reflect this outlook. 'We are two peace-loving nations who believe in avoiding war and conflict at all costs. And I want to remember those who suffered and the survivors, and going there in all solemnity to reflect our commitment to nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation,' Mr Martin said. The Taoiseach was welcomed to the Kantei, the prime minister's glass-walled headquarters, by a colour guard from the 302nd military police company of the Japan ground self-defence force. Wearing white dress uniforms, a military band played Amhrán na bhFiann and the Japanese national anthem while the colour guard presented arms with bayonets fixed. Mr Ishiba served the Taoiseach green tea during the meeting, remarking that he had heard about Mr Martin's fondness for it. After the formal meeting they had lunch including Wagyu beef with colcannon, served with Guinness, while the music of Enya played in the background. Mr Ishiba is under intense political pressure in advance of elections to Japan's upper house on July 20th, with polls suggesting that support for his Liberal Democratic Party has fallen by 20 points since the last such election in 2022. Donald Trump this week threatened to impose a tariff of up to 35 per cent on Japanese goods if Tokyo does not agree to import cars and rice from the United States. Later on Wednesday, with Japan's Princess Takamado among those present, the Taoiseach opened Ireland House in Tokyo, a landmark building housing the Irish Embassy and State agencies the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia. At a cost of more than €20 million, it is the biggest single capital project the State has ever undertaken. 'The relationship between Ireland and Japan is a very special one. Ireland House Tokyo stands as a testament to that relationship and a symbol of the economic, cultural, and social values that we share,' the Taoiseach said.
Zawya
24-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Rack Centre welcomes TelCables Nigeria, integrates its international subsea-cable network at the Lagos campus
Rack Centre, West Africa's leading Tier III carrier - and cloud -neutral data centre, has signed a strategic collocation agreement with TelCables Nigeria, a subsidiary of Angola Cables ( and one of Africa's most connected network operators. Through the partnership, TelCables Nigeria is deploying its high capacity network and cloud infrastructure together with four international subsea cable systems (SACS, MONET, SEBRAS and EllaLink) directly into Rack Centre's carrier ecosystem in the region. The move delivers the most resilient, low-latency south-bound routes to Europe, the Americas and Latin America, mitigating the risk of future cable-cut outages along West Africa's coast and powering next-generation cloud services across the continent. 'Our unique Africa – to - Latin America route via SACS, combined with MONET, SEBRAS and EllaLink, gives customers the lowest - latency paths to the Americas and Europe,' said Fernando Fernandes, CEO of TelCables Nigeria. 'Businesses in latency sensitive sectors: financial services, content delivery and real-time communications will experience faster transactions, reduced lag and an enhanced user experience. By hosting at Rack Centre we also localise Clouds2Africa resources, price them in naira, and remove expensive ingress/egress charges or FX exposure.' Partnership highlights Robust dark-fibre integration: TelCables Nigeria is lighting diverse, redundant dark-fibre rings into Rack Centre, ensuring always-on performance. Clouds2Africa platform on-net: Customers can consume scalable IaaS, PaaS and CDN services from within the data sovereign walls of Rack Centre, paying in NGN. Direct on-ramps to AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, supporting hybrid and multi-cloud strategies alongside Dedicated Internet Access, IP Transit and remote Internet Exchange (IX) peering. Low-latency routes to three continents, including the only direct Africa to Latin America path, plus shortest-hop connections to Europe and the USA. Supporting Rack Centre's expansion strategy Rack Centre's 13.5MW data centre campus designed with its recently launched LGS2 facility that delivers a design PUE of 1.35 and powered from sustainable energy sources, already hosts 70+ carriers, ISPs and network operators. Lars Johannisson, CEO of Rack Centre, said: 'Adding a global operator of Angola Cables' calibre through TelCables Nigeria dramatically deepens our connectivity fabric. We can now offer 99.95 % SLA routes to more destinations, enabling enterprises, governments and cloud providers to meet performance and data-residency requirements while keeping traffic local.' With features such as N+2 high-efficiency cooling, an integrated Building Management System and AI-ready high-density racks, LGS2 combines capacity, sustainability and innovation reinforcing Rack Centre's position as a critical digital hub for Nigeria and West Africa. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Angola Cables. For Media Enquiries: Ada Ibelegbu Senior Marketing Associate Rack Centre Email: M: +234 80 904 03 473 T: +234 1 700 5515 About Angola Cables: Angola Cables is an international ICT solutions provider operating a 33,000 km subsea-cable network (WACS, SACS, MONET) and 50,000 km of partner routes, linking the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia. The company runs Tier III data centres in Fortaleza (Brazil) and Luanda (Angola), manages the Angonix IXP, and maintains 30+ PoPs worldwide. CAIDA ranks Angola Cables among the top-25 global ISPs (2023). About Rack Centre: Rack Centre is West Africa's leading Tier III carrier and cloud neutral data-centre operator. Since 2012 it has specialised in colocation and interconnection, offering customers a technically superior, physically secure and cost-efficient environment. The campus hosts 70+ carriers, ISPs and global Tier 1 networks, with direct links to every subsea cable landing on Africa's Atlantic coast including Equiano and, soon, 2Africa.
Times of Oman
21-06-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
Saudi Arabia and UAE likely to import electricity from India
New Delhi: Saudi Arabia and the UAE are likely to import electricity through undersea cables from India. The 1,700km subsea cable to Saudi Arabia will cost INR470 billion ($5.5 billion), whereas the 1,400km cable to the UAE will cost INR435 billion, India's power minister Manohar Lal Khattar said. New Delhi will export 2 gigawatts (GW) each to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, he said. "We have already signed joint venture agreements with Saudi Arabia and UAE for these projects. The power transmission link with Saudi Arabia will cost 47,000 crore while those for UAE will cost 43,000 crores, he said. The two transmission projects, part of the government's focus on boosting electricity exports, will have capacity of carrying 2 Gigawatt electricity each.
Japan Times
02-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Southeast Asia joins Europe's calls to defend subsea cables
Defense officials from Europe and Southeast Asia called for stronger collaboration to protect the global network of subsea cables as concerns grow over threats to this vital infrastructure. Countries like Singapore and Malaysia are becoming key hubs for the roughly 600 fiber-optic cables that carry nearly all of the world's data. Meanwhile, a spike in cable damage in European waters, particularly in the Baltic Sea, has heightened fears about the network's vulnerability. "We need to work together to defend the entire network,' Singapore Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing said at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue security forum on Sunday. "There's no point trying to defend the integrity and security of a submarine cable by looking at a point. We need both ends to be secure.' The issue came up repeatedly during the two-day summit in Singapore, with European officials keen to share what they've learned from the recent rise in subsea cable damage. Today, the global undersea cable network stretches about 1.4 million kilometers. With the demand for data center power projected to surge significantly with the advent of intensive artificial intelligence platforms, more cables are essential. Protecting them has become a key imperative in Europe since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with incidents in its waters mostly involving tankers traveling to and from Russia, and in at least one case, a Chinese vessel. Despite suspicions of sabotage, there's been no strong evidence pointing to deliberate attacks, with the incidents more likely to be accidents or careless behavior. Still, NATO countries have increased patrols in key areas to ensure the safety of undersea infrastructure. The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas urged European and Asian partners to work together at sea to tackle covert "shadow fleets' of tankers and review maritime security laws. Protecting digital cable infrastructure is important for the Philippines too, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in an interview. He added that his country, which is locked in a long-running dispute with China in the South China Sea, is working to build up its capabilities to address the threat. Thailand also called the issue a pressing concern, with Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai saying the country is collaborating with Singapore and Brunei. He added undersea infrastructure faces risks not only from sabotage, but also from accidents and natural disasters.
