Subsea cables serve as the backbone of the internet, connecting various points across the globe and enabling seamless digital communication. These cables, largely invisible to the public, are crucial for maintaining the connectivity and speed of online activities.
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Network Complexity and Fiber Optics: Fiber optics play a fundamental role in modern connectivity, allowing light to travel at incredibly high speeds—approximately 670,616,629 miles per hour, which translates to roughly 130 milliseconds to circle the Earth once. However, the practical application of optical transport involves more than just this theoretical speed; it includes overcoming challenges like attenuation and dispersion.
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Coherent Optics: The introduction of coherent optics around a decade ago significantly reduced traditional obstacles, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of data transmission over long distances.
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Submarine Cable Systems: The majority of subsea cables are deployed underwater, making them a critical component of global connectivity. These cables connect different geographical locations, forming vast networks that support the internet's worldwide reach.
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Pacific Crossing (PC)-1: As an example, the PC-1 cable is a system featuring four landing points, connecting Seattle, Washington, to Ajigaura, Japan, covering approximately 4700 miles. This cable integrates seamlessly with the local network, demonstrating how subsea cables are part of larger, interconnected systems.
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Landing Sites and Infrastructure: Each landing site is connected to points of presence (PoPs) and data centers. For instance, Harbour Pointe has a direct link with an NTT data center campus in Hillsboro, Oregon, showcasing the importance of strategic location and connectivity for minimizing latency.
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Low Latency and High Demand: Low latency is essential for various applications such as gaming, teleconferencing, video streaming, and financial transactions. Web-scale companies like Facebook and Google have increasingly invested in subsea cable deployments due to the high demand for these services.
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Challenges and Solutions: For non-web-scale companies, managing agreements with subsea cable operators, PoPs, and data centers can be cumbersome. Partnering with experienced providers, like NTT, offers an alternative solution by providing access to high-performance systems and reducing operational complexities.
Subsea cables are indispensable to the internet's infrastructure, facilitating global connectivity and supporting the rapid exchange of information. Their underlying complexity and critical role underscore the necessity of understanding and leveraging these systems for optimal digital performance.
