Regarding the ocean, we actually have a choice...

There are ten thousand ways for us to live in peace with the ocean.

Did you know that our signals are not only transmitted through the air, but also through the ocean?

This is submarine communication technology, which is a technology that uses submarine cables or optical cables to transmit data and information.

Is submarine communication difficult?

Generally speaking, submarine communication technology has two main parts (here I will mainly talk about the wired part and the wireless communication part. Interested fans can leave a message and I will arrange it next time):

Cable: As a carrier for signal transmission, submarine cables include optical cables and electrical cables. Optical cables use optical fibers to transmit signals, while electrical cables use electrical signals.

In recent years, submarine optical cables have largely replaced submarine electrical cables with their advantages of large capacity, high quality, high definition, low price, safety and reliability, and have become an important means of contemporary international communications.

According to the forecast of China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, 153 new submarine cable systems will be built in the world from 2023 to 2028, with a total length of about 770,000 kilometers. It is estimated that Chinese companies will be able to participate in 77 submarine cable systems with a total length of about 345,000 kilometers, and the market size will reach tens of billions of US dollars.

Relay station: During the cable laying process, a relay station will be set up to amplify and forward the transmitted signals to ensure the stability and reliability of the signals during long-distance transmission.

The relay station is usually placed at the node of the submarine optical cable, or installed on an offshore floating platform. In the submarine relay station, it is usually equipped with backup power supply, cooling system, and monitoring and maintenance equipment to ensure the operation and maintenance of the facility.

The relay link is a difficult point in the industrial chain and was previously monopolized by overseas manufacturers. However, with the accumulation of domestic technology, we also have our own repeater supplier!

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Submarine communications are difficult to implement

The road to submarine communications is actually full of difficulties and obstacles:

Deep sea environment

Submarine communications need to be carried out in deep sea environments, where the water depth may exceed several thousand meters or even deeper. The deep sea environment has the characteristics of high pressure, low temperature, high humidity and strong corrosion, which places high demands on the performance and durability of communication equipment.

Geological conditions

The geological conditions on the seabed are complex and changeable, with seamounts, gullies, seismic zones, volcanic activities, etc. These geological factors have created difficulties for the laying and maintenance of submarine optical cables.

Communication distance

Submarine communications need to cover very long distances, which requires that the signal attenuation of optical fiber transmission be as small as possible, while maintaining high signal quality and transmission rate. Such technical requirements are actually very high.

Communication bandwidth

Modern society has an increasing demand for communication bandwidth, not only for personal audio and video, but also for the large-scale demand on the B2B side that has emerged with the development of 5G. Submarine communications need to meet huge bandwidth demands, which places high demands on the performance of equipment such as optical fibers and optical amplifiers.

Difficult to maintain

Once an optical cable fails on the seabed, repair work will face extremely high risks and costs. The maintenance and repair of submarine communication equipment requires professional equipment and technical teams. The complex working conditions at sea increase the difficulty of maintenance.

With so many difficulties, why are people still exploring submarine communication technology?

Submarine communications are widely used

Do you think submarine communications are only for transoceanic communication?

Much more than that!

Submarine communication technology has been widely used in the following occasions:

International and transoceanic communications

Submarine communication lines are important communication infrastructure connecting various countries and regions. They can support international telephone communications, Internet access, data transmission, video conferencing, etc.

For example, the Asia Pacific Gateway optical cable has connected many countries and regions in the Asia-Pacific region, specifically China, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand, and provides high-speed broadband and data transmission services.

Oil and gas gathering

Submarine communication technology plays a key role in the exploration, collection and production of offshore oil and gas. It enables remote monitoring and control of subsea drilling platforms, offshore oil and gas pipelines and production facilities by transmitting data and monitoring signals.

For example, the Ormen Lange project, a large-scale natural gas collection project in Norway, uses submarine communication technology to transmit data from submarine oil fields to the ground control center through high-speed and stable submarine optical cables, realizing real-time monitoring and data analysis.

Undersea scientific research

Submarine communication technology plays an important role in marine scientific research. It can help researchers understand the marine environment, geological structure, submarine ecosystem, etc. by transmitting data from submarine observation equipment and instruments.

For example, the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) project in the United States has deployed multiple seafloor observation stations and sensor equipment around the world, transmitting real-time data through a submarine communication network to monitor and study issues such as ocean dynamics, ecosystems, and climate change.

Undersea disaster warning

Submarine communication technology can also be used for monitoring and early warning of submarine earthquakes, tsunamis and marine disasters. By transmitting submarine earthquake monitoring instruments and data, earthquake-related information can be quickly obtained, tsunamis can be warned and corresponding rescue measures can be taken.

For example, on April 11, 2012, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 8.6 occurred in Sumatra, Indonesia. Thanks to the monitoring of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Early Warning System, relevant authorities were able to take preventive measures quickly, avoiding greater property losses and casualties.

You see, we can actually protect the ocean, utilize the ocean, and benefit ourselves!

Regarding the ocean, we have 10,000 ways to coexist peacefully. I only take a scoop~