Page 20: of Marine Technology Magazine (November 2025)

SUBSEA FIBER NETWORKS AI

Figure 1

Credit: Nokia

THE IMPACT OF AI TRAFFIC ON

SUBSEA FIBER NETWORKS

By Serge Melle, Nokia Optical Networks iber optic networks provide the connectivity ubiqui- wide deployment of subsea ? ber cables. Today, over 570 in- tous to modern society, enabling ? nancial transac- service subsea cables carry more than 99% of all international tions, business critical traf? c, national defense, enter- traf? c and connect data centers around the globe to deliver

Ftainment, and personal interactions across the globe. cloud-based and emerging AI services.

Optical ? ber extends to homes, businesses, and 5G radios in A massive global data center build-out is currently underway metro networks, connects cities within countries, and coun- to satisfy the compute needs of AI training. These build-outs tries within continents. Subsea ? ber cables spanning seas and are being led by hyperscale, neo-cloud, an AI companies, all oceans extend that connectivity between continents. of whom are seeking to develop market-leading AI models,

The massive data-carrying capacity of optical ? ber has led to agents, and applications that seek to transform work and so-

Figure 2

Optimizing subsea-terrestrial networking by connecting wavelengths end-to-end between data centers using optical pass-through at cable landing sites.

Credit: Nokia 20 November/December 2025

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