Unrepeatered Submarine Fiber Optic Systems Study

Unrepeatered Submarine Fiber Optics Systems represent a new market opportunity for existing and new players in the market. The original transoceanic links required large investments in research, installation and OAM. As the technology has developed the capability of unrepeatered undersea fiber optic links continues to increase, opening up new markets where only the cable is placed underwater and the electronics are located in a benign environment on the shore. Unrepeatered systems also require less investment and lower cost for installation and OAM. Hence, many smaller players are now able to enter the market. In this update of the earlier report on unrepeatered fiber optics, IGI Consulting identifies over 300 unrepeatered links installed or planned throughout the globe. IGI Consulting also proposes another 120 links for areas currently underserved by submarine fiber optics. The unrepeatered market, therefore, is forecast to grow substantially over the next decade, from 184 current links to over 500 links by 2005. The total investment in unrepeatered fiber optics is forecast to grow from a current $2.5 billion to over $7 billion by 2005, with over 110,000 km of cable deployed.