Page 49: of Marine Technology Magazine (July 2021)

ing Aggregating Devices and mass wast- ing due to deep water turbidity currents, have led to this necessary development.

• Increase system capacity in un- dersea cable and component design:

Newer systems are starting to deploy cables with higher ? ber counts and ? - ber switching repeaters and branching units. However, this is not expected to signi? cantly impact marine services nor the quantity of deployed cable.

• Regional in? ll for submarine cable systems: While there will always be a need for transoceanic systems to be built or replace underserved routes, we see greater need for regional systems to meet the expansion of broadband intra-regionally. For marine services, this would indicate greater reliance on good route engineering, inshore cable protection, and the development of shal- low water marine solutions to improve effectiveness of deployment and main- tenance.

• Continuing technological devel- opments to improve system reliabil- ity: Whether it’s the increased reliance on survey and lay software aboard ves- sels, faster signal processing, broad- band access while at sea, or improved mechanical and electrical equipment, increasingly sophisticated solutions are needed to meet the exacting require- ments of the end client.

• Stress in the marine mainte- nance marketplace: We see the possi- bility of changes to marine maintenance services causing potential problems, not least to small carriers and owners of capacity, who may ? nd their needs con- sidered less if the current status quo on consortium maintenance breaks down.

The changes we are witnessing reveal a maturing market that is adapting to meet the increasing demand for global con- nectivity. To achieve and maintain the welfare of worldwide broadband capac- ity, greater focus on reliability and re- silience must continue to be addressed.

We’ll be watching the development of these trends with great interest. www.marinetechnologynews.com 49

MTR #5 (34-49).indd 49 7/30/2021 7:11:06 PM