Jean-Francois Libert

13 – Cable technology

The design of modern optical submarine repeatered cables concentrates on providing a stable low-loss optical transmission path, a power feeding conductor for the submerged amplifiers, and sufficient strength and robustness to facilitate safe and successful installation operation and, if necessary, repair. This chapter concentrates on the design considerations for submarine optical cable. Today the submarine cable market is basically divided into two parts: unrepeatered cables for the shorter systems and repeatered cables for the longer systems. Both unrepeatered cables and repeatered cables have served the same routes as technology has advanced, so there is not much that separates the basic requirements of the two design types. This chapter only distinguishes where necessary between the two types of cable. The chapter covers cable requirements, characteristics, insulation and testing.