Alcatel Submarine Networks selected for the groundbreaking Anel CAM submarine cable project in Portugal

Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) is honored to announce it has been awarded by Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) the implementation of the innovative Anel CAM project, a submarine fiber optic cable network designed to upgrade and extend digital connectivity across the country and beyond. This ambitious project marks a key step in the modernization of Portugal’s communications infrastructure, linking Portugal to the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, and reinforcing the country’s central role in the global telecommunications network.

‘Seafloor fiber- optic cables become sensor stations “Smart cables” will detect earthquakes, tsunamis, and global warming’ by Paul Voosen, Science Magazine.

The article discusses the implementation of SMART cables, capable of both internet data transmission and environmental monitoring. These cables integrate sensors pointwise along the cable, enabling real-time detection of seismic activity and ocean changes. Portugal is set to deploy one such cable across the Atlantic, while other regions like New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and the Mediterranean have similar projects underway. The initiative addresses longstanding challenges in climate and ocean monitoring and disaster risk reduction (e. g., earthquakes and tsunamis), offering valuable scientific insights and enhancing safety for coastal communities.

For the full article: https://www.science.org/content/article/smart-fiber-optic-cables-sea-floor-will-detect-earthquakes-tsunamis-and-global-warming

Today, March 13th, at the headquarters of Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP), the signing of the contract for the Execution of the Design, Construction, Supply, Installation, Assembly and Entry into Operation of the Submarine Telecommunications Fiber Optic Cable of the new CAM Ring (CAM-Continente Açores Madeira) between IP and Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN). This system will have SMART Capability for seismic detection, climate and environmental monitoring and data transmission for scientific purposes, which will have the collaboration of IPMA.

The event was attended by the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Administrative Modernization, Mário Campolargo, the Deputy Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Frederico Francisco and the Vice-President of Sales & Marketing of ASN, Paul Gabla, who were accompanied by Miguel Cruz , Chairman of the Group's Board of Directors and other members.

CAM will set very valuable precedents for SMART, along with the recent Wet Demonstration and the Vanuatu-New Caledonia TamTam system.

Congratulations Portugal!

Contract signed for world’s first SMART subsea cable, connecting Vanuatu, New Caledonia

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Marcie Grabowski

Map showing where the TAMTAM SMART cable will be connecting Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

The world's first SMART cable system, called TAMTAM, will connect Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

Efforts to install the world’s first Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) seafloor cable cleared a major hurdle recently. A supply and construction contract was signed for the cable, named SMART TAMTAM, to connect Vanuatu and New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean. This concept has been advanced by the Joint Task Force SMART Cables, which has been led since 2016 by Bruce Howe, professor of Ocean and Resources Engineering in the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST).

Güralp Systems Ltd, the leading global provider of seismic monitoring instrumentation and solutions, has successfully designed, manufactured and deployed a 21 km ‘SMART cable' 30 km off the coast of Catania in Sicily, Italy. The SMART cable (Science Monitoring and Reliable Telecommunications), is an innovative system developed by Güralp in partnership with Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), for the Italian InSEA SMART cable Wet Demonstrator project which will measure seismic risk off the coast of Sicily.

A contract has been signed for the establishment of the world's first Sensor Monitoring and Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) cable connecting Vanuatu and New Caledonia, expected to be operational in 2026.

Sea level rise continues to threaten the coastal communities of all Pacific Islands, including Vanuatu and New Caledonia. Higher sea levels will increase both the frequency of coastal damage and the inundation areas from typhoons and tsunamis. Better data on ocean circulation and warming will assist in projecting the specific impacts of these threats on the local ecosystem and economy.

The SMART Cable Solution: We propose to monitor the ocean floor in this region by integrating sensors for acceleration (for earthquakes and tsunamis), ocean bottom pressure (for tsunamis, sea level, and ocean currents) and ocean temperature (for climate change) into the repeaters of a submarine telecommunications cable system connecting Vanuatu and New Caledonia. In contrast to existing indirect monitoring systems such as satellites and buoys, SMART cables will provide the unprecedented capability to directly monitor in real time the ocean and seafloor in the region.

The SMART Subsea Cables initiative seeks to revolutionize deep ocean observing by equipping transoceanic telecommunications cables with sensors to provide essential information of the state of the ocean. The sensors will piggyback on the power and communications present in the cables and will collect data on three critical environmental variables of the deep ocean:

• Temperature: SMART will characterize the changing climate with improved estimates of ocean heat content and sea level rise as relates to water’s thermal expansion;

• Ocean bottom pressure: SMART will measure ocean circulation insofar as water flows from areas of high to low pressure, track sea level rise related to melting land ice, and improve tsunami early warning via direct real-time measurement of sea surface elevation;

• Seismic acceleration: SMART will monitor seabed seismic activity to improve early warning for earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, and yield superior risk assessments for vulnerable coastal areas.

All will benefit from the cable infrastructure: sustained, real time, high reliability, long life (25 years), communication and power.

The ITU/WMO/UNESCO Joint Task Force leading the development of SMART Cables is pleased to announce the appointment of our new Vice Chairman Mike Constable, who has been involved in the submarine cable sector for over 25 years in senior leadership roles on both the supply and investment sides; most recently as CEO of Huawei Marine Networks (now HMN Technologies).

Mike’s experience in regulatory, strategic and commercial aspects of developing and deploying submarine cable infrastructure gives the JTF a unique industry perspective to further facilitate the success of the SMART cable initiative.

Welcome Mike!

And to Nigel Bayliff, thank you for your 7 years of service as the former JTF Vice Chairman and being part of this effort from the very beginning!

In the face of a rapidly changing climate, a better understanding of the world’s oceans is of paramount importance to improve resilience against elevated ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and losses of biodiversity in ecosystems around the world.