About The SEACOM Cable System
In November 2007, SEACOM began construction of its state-of-the-art undersea cable system. From as early as the late 1800's, ships began laying undersea copper telegraph cables that delivered the earliest global communication systems across the oceans. What the Victorians set up in the late 1800’s is carried on in very much the same way today, but with far superior technology.
Laying The African Undersea Cables
The process of laying the SEACOM cable system starts off with a topographical survey of the ocean floor to determine the most benign route to follow. The data is then fed into software that provides a detailed manufacturing specification for the cable that can then be manufactured. It is manufactured completely on land and loaded onto large vessels to be taken out to sea. In SEACOM’s case, 3 cable-laying ships were contracted with the largest carrying some 6,000 km of cable.
Once out at sea, the cable is heavily reinforced and dropped at depths of up to 5 km’s under the ocean surface. As the undersea cable systems approach shallower water, they are heavily reinforced and buried beneath the ocean floor by a specialised device called a Burial Plough; making it less vulnerable to potential interference close to the shoreline.
There are multiple suppliers at different parts of the SEACOM cable system network who are responsible for maintaining the cable system. They also provide secure storage for supplies and accessories in a regional depot allowing for rapid repair and maintenance of the system.
Visit our YouTube page to view a video of the cable laying process.
