Submarine communication cables. Underwater cable. Origins of intercontinental communication

The ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) was created in 1969 in the USA, and the first message was sent on October 1, 1969. Despite the achievements of ARPANET, quite soon it had a serious opponent, the inter-university network NSFNet, which had noticeably greater bandwidth, and in 1990, having lost in the competition, ARPANET ceased to exist. However, if we wish, we may well celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Internet this October.

Who came up with all this?
It is clear that such a global structure is the result of the collaboration of thousands of scientists and engineers, but the basics of packet communication technology were independently invented by Paul Baran and Donald Watt Davis.
Paul Baran, born in 1926 in the then Polish city of Grodno, moved with his parents to the United States at the age of two. In 1960, he was already an employee of the “think tank” of the Rand Corporation, and as part of the task (to create a universal way of organizing communications between various scientific centers) he decided to transfer information by analogy with a honeycomb, which bees complete themselves, possessing only information about the parameters that allow you to accurately connect new cells with already built ones. In the process of work, Paul came up with a digital recording method that was more suitable for this purpose than analogue, and wrote an article about all his findings, published in a secret preprint of the Rand Corporation in 1962.

Independently from Baran, a similar theory was developed by Donald Davis, an employee of the English, at that time also classified, National Physical Laboratory. He built a small network for the laboratory based on new communication principles and coined the term “packet.”

How old is the World Wide Web?
In 1980, English physicist Tim Bernes-Lee took a job at the Geneva European laboratory CERN as a software development consultant for just six months. He performed well, but he became a full-fledged employee of the laboratory only in 1984, when he began to solve the problem of processing and presenting scientific research results in real time.

In 1989, the problem was solved, and already in the fall of 1990, CERN employees received the first “web server” and “web browser” written by Tim. The convenience of the European project “WWW” - “World Wide Web” (World Wide Web) was so obvious that already in the summer of 1991 the American project “Internet” adopted it, and today each of us deals with the World Wide Web almost every day.

How many people use the services of the Internet?
First of all, you need to understand that no one can know this for sure, since this number changes every second. And yet, calculations are carried out constantly, and this is understandable - such information is of interest to many - from businessmen to the military, and therefore it costs money, and a lot of it. There are clear leaders in the market for these services; these are commercial structures Nielsen//NetRatings, NUA, eMarketer, IDC, eTForecast. Surveys on Internet use and forecasts are also compiled by the UNESCO Observatory of the Information Society, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

How is communication between continents ensured?
An underwater communication cable is used for these purposes. In 1851, an engineer named Bret laid the first submarine cable across the English Channel, thus connecting England with continental Europe by telegraph. This became possible thanks to the invention of gutta-percha, a substance capable of insulating wires carrying current in water. The first telegram sent by submarine cable was Queen Victoria of Great Britain congratulating US President James Buchanan in 1856. That old reinforced cable insulated with gutta-percha (an invention by the engineer Siemens) connected the coasts of Ireland and Newfoundland. It was expensive, it was technically unfinished, but already in 1866 the telegraph line began to operate steadily, while the information transmission speed was only 17 words per minute. Modern submarine cables use fiber optic technology. The first such cable was laid in 1988.

Sectional view of fiber optic cable. 1 – polyethylene, 2 – Mylar film, 3 – metal supporting conductors, 4 – aluminum waterproofing layer, 5 – polycarbonate, 6 – copper (or aluminum) tube, 7 – liquid paraffin (vaseline), 8 – fiber optic conductors.

Today, such cables, laid along the bottom of reservoirs and the World Ocean, connect all continents except Antarctica. Approximately every 100 km, an EDFA amplifier is installed to restore the optical signal power. There is a list of undersea communication cables on the Internet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_submarine_communications_cables

Map of submarine communication cables

In real life, the submarine cable does not look at all romantic, its kilometer weighs up to 10 tons, its diameter is 69 mm, and, like any submarine cable, it can be damaged - by anchors, earthquakes, or destroyed on purpose, as was done repeatedly during the Second World War , or it may simply be stolen by smugglers who can scrap the copper used in it.

Where in the world is there the heaviest communications traffic?
The traffic map, that is, the amount of information transmitted over the Network, surprisingly coincides with the Earth’s accessibility map, which in itself is understandable.

Global traffic map

At the same time, the geography of information transmission, to the great dissatisfaction of American intelligence services, has changed noticeably over the past 10 years: if previously 70% of world traffic moved through American communication lines, now this figure does not exceed 25%. But this is the nature of the Internet and nothing can be done about it. At one time, the Americans refused to invest a lot of money in optical fiber, and the results were immediate. At the same time, India and China are actively investing heavily in next-generation Internet technologies, and it is quite clear that we will continue to see corresponding changes in traffic.

If the ratio of the number of Internet users by continent in relation to the total population living on them, then it is clear that the greatest prospects for growth of this indicator and, accordingly, traffic growth remain in the Asian region and Africa. This means that these are the most promising regions from a commercial point of view, which transnational financial corporations will not lose sight of.

Earth accessibility map.

...
At the same time, investments are being made in the Unity submarine cable, the first 10,000 km connecting the US Pacific coast with Japan are already in the project. This cable will have 5 fibers, each of which will have a throughput of 960 Gbps. The number of fibers can be increased to 8, then the channel capacity will be 7.68 Tbit/s, which is almost twice as good as today’s figure. So why not make a global overhaul of underwater communications? It all comes down to money, which is required now (according to the same Nemertes Research), at least 91 billion pounds sterling. That's why as many as six corporations (including Google) are investing in the first line of the Unity cable. So, maybe it’s worth switching to satellite communications en masse? And again money: the cost of systems based on submarine fiber optic cables is initially lower (one telephone channel - $ 5-10 per year) than satellite communication systems with similar bandwidth (one telephone channel - about $ 50 per year), and, as we have already We know that space is also cramped.

The photo shows an underwater cable for transmitting signals in communication lines. Its diameter is 69 mm and this is quite a bit, considering the fact that up to 99% of the world's traffic passes through it: telephone communications, the Internet, and so on. It is this cable that “knows” the answer to the question of how the Internet works, since it allows users to virtually get to all corners of the world, perhaps not counting Antarctica. Millions of kilometers long, a cable of optical fibers transmitting optical signals crosses the bottom of all oceans.

This ship, called the CS Cable Innovator, built in 1995, is designed to lay just such cables. This is the largest ship in the world in terms of its specialization with 42 cabins for officers, 36 cabins for crew and two luxury cabins.

Its capabilities are impressive: with a length of 145 m and a width of 24 m, the ship can transport about 8.5 thousand tons of cable and be in operation for almost 1.5 months without refueling and maintenance, and, accompanied by a special support ship, up to 3 months of continuous operation.

Initially, network cables had a fairly simple connection - from point to point. And the speed left much to be desired, only 40 Gbit/sec. Today, their formation has become more structural, with complex branches along the ocean floor. And in 2012, providers introduced a channel for data transmission over communication lines at a speed of 100 Gbit/sec. Its length of 6,000 kilometers occupies the entire Atlantic Ocean.

It is ships like the CS Cable Innovator that work every day to lay cables to provide the world's population with the Internet at higher and higher signal speeds.

List of materials that make up the submarine cable:

1. upper shell – polyethylene;
2. Next comes the Mylar coating;
3. steel wires with multicore structure;
4. waterproof aluminum protection;
5. polycarbonate shell;
6. aluminum or copper tube;
7. Vaseline lubricant;
8. and finally optical fibers.

Since the advent of these technologies, many people who are concerned about the environment periodically have the question of whether fiber-optic channels have any negative impact on the flora and fauna of the underwater world? As studies have shown, the recent installation of millions of kilometers of underwater cables, if they have any minor impact on marine life, is only on those who live directly within the bottom.

And the following image shows the continuous process of laying a fiber optic cable along the ocean floor from point A to point B.

It is also worth noting that when cable TV was launched via undersea fiber, there were fears of excessive load on the channels, but they were in vain. The overall work intensity increased by only 1%, and cable TV acquired a bandwidth of 1TB, which is a hundred times more than satellites provide. If you want to become the owner of such an inter-Atlantic channel, you will have to fork out a tidy sum - from 200 to 500 million dollars.

Our company sells various brands of submarine cables from stock from warehouses located throughout Russia, or upon order for production. Kabel.RF specialists know everything about these products, so they will competently advise you in choosing submarine cables, taking into account technical requirements, help with timely delivery and select the appropriate type of transport.

Submarine cables are used when it is necessary to lay power and distribution lines designed to transmit direct voltage up to 200 kV and alternating voltage up to 500 kV with a frequency of no more than 50 Hz, along the bottom of freshwater and salt water bodies. In addition, underwater cables are used to connect to the power supply networks of offshore drilling platforms, connect coastal wind generating electrical installations, connect various water-submersible equipment, permanently install control circuits for underwater mechanisms, provide power to instruments during geophysical survey of wells and control them, as well as transmit analogue and digital signals. Submarine cables may be laid at a depth of no more than 500 m and at a water temperature of no more than +70 °C.

The cable for underwater installation is produced with single-wire or multi-wire conductors having a round or sector shape. Aluminum, copper or tinned copper wires are used for their manufacture. According to their characteristics, prescribed in GOST 22483, the cores belong to classes 1-5. To protect the conductors from moisture, special water-blocking threads are added to them. Cables used for underwater installation are produced in single-core and multi-core versions. An insulating layer of silanol-cross-linked polyethylene, ethylene-propylene rubber, polyvinyl chloride plastic compound, as well as cable paper impregnated with special compounds is applied to the conductive cores of submarine cables. The conductive cores of underwater multicore cables are twisted into a core with the free space filled with paper or rubber strands or hydrophobic material. The cable core can be covered with an inner sheath made of polyvinyl chloride plastic, polyethylene, rubber or lead tube. A cable for underwater installation can be protected from the effects of electromagnetic radiation by a screen made in the form of a copper wire braid. To protect against possible damage, the design of cables intended for stationary installation along the bottom of reservoirs includes armor made of galvanized steel wires. Protective fibrous covers or an outer shell made of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride plastic compound or rubber, including ethylene propylene, are applied on top of the screen or armor.

High-voltage submarine cables must have several protective shields to reduce the level of electromagnetic interference that occurs. Screens are made of semiconducting paper, polymer composition or rubber, as well as copper tape and braided copper wire. A water blocking layer is placed on top of the copper wire or tape screen, which is covered by an outer sheath of polyethylene.

Main advantages

They make it possible to provide electricity to remote islands that do not have their own power plants;
. electrical equipment on oil and gas production platforms is connected to the power line using underwater cables.

You can buy a submarine cable from us at a favorable price; to do this, you need to leave a request for a cost calculation to the company manager.

Our resource has a wide selection of these products. We have the opportunity to buy not only Russian-made cables ("Akvatekhnika", "Podolskkabel"), but also foreign ones: "Aristoncavi", "Grundfos", "Pedrollo". If we take our and European brands together, they have high quality and conductivity. In addition, such products fully comply with all global standards for cable production.

Submarine cable price

Our prices are much lower than other similar companies. This is due to the fact that we work with the manufacturers themselves, and it is they who are responsible for the pricing policy. We would like to remind you that due to the unstable exchange rate, you need to check the cost with a consultant at the online establishment. Having seen the prices for our products, you will be surprised at the pleasant prices for absolutely all brands of cable. Here everyone will find something to their liking.

Submarine cable in our store: what do you need to know about us?

We have been on the market for these services for quite a long time, and we have already become the favorites of many regular clients. We can proudly call ourselves the best, because this is evidenced by diplomas and certificates that can be found on the website of our online store.

Where can you buy a submarine cable of good quality and at a reasonable price?

I would like to tell you a little about the resource. By visiting our website, first of all, all our rewards are open to the buyer. This is what instills confidence in our client about the work that the store team does. Also, all contacts and addresses are presented there, and each client can choose a convenient way to contact the store staff. In addition, we have described in detail all the terms of payment and delivery so that everything is clear for potential buyers.

Selling underwater cables is our strong point!

We provide a guarantee for our products. It is with the help of it that we will be able to quickly eliminate all problems with the product, if any are discovered. In addition, our prices are very low, which always guarantees a huge flow of customers. If we talk about service, it is always at the highest level and pleases every visitor. You can always call us from 9.00 to 19.00 and ask the questions that interest you most about the cable. What else should I add? We think it’s better to see everything with your own eyes and visit an online store with a submarine cable. When purchasing from us, your purchases will delight you and last for a long time. Our doors are open to everyone!

The cables presented in this section of our AquaCenter online store are intended for stationary and non-stationary installation, both indoors and outdoors. Such elements are widely used in open ground and in cable ducts, including in explosive zones of all classes and places that are exposed to stray currents.

The KVV and KVVP submarine cables serve as a connecting element to various electrical appliances, devices and apparatus with a rated voltage of up to 660V AC (frequency 400Hz) or 1000V DC.

The underwater cable can be used at the following ambient temperatures

Standard version - -40° to +80°C;

Cold-resistant version “HL” - -60° to +80°C;

Heat-resistant version “105” - 40° to +105°C.

From which it turns out that such cables are allowed to be used in any climatic regions, including the far north and the tropics. But installation of such cables must be carried out at temperatures not lower than 15°C (regular version) or 30°C (cold-resistant version) below zero. These cables should not be exposed to direct sunlight. If all operational precautions are taken into account, the submarine cable will last at least 20-30 years.

Design

The cable for underwater installation KVV or KVVP consists of multi-wire conductors (not lower than class four) of general twisting or twisted (pairs/threes/fours) with digital or color marking of the conductors. On top of the core there is a special winding, which is made of waterproofing tape, preventing moisture from entering in the event of mechanical damage to the outer shell.

The KVV and KVVP submarine cables in the usual version are produced with a sheath and insulation made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), with copper stranded conductors. If we are talking about an armored cable (KVVB), then it is galvanized steel wire or tape armor. Such cables may have a common screen made of aluminum flex with a drainage tinned copper core.

The AquaCenter online store offers submarine cables in a wide range of choices. You can select wholesale plumbing fixtures for your needs in our electronic catalogs, which are available around the clock on our website!