PIPE Networks Submarine Cable 101 Stephen Baxter CTO

PIPE Networks Submarine Cable 101 Stephen Baxter, CTO and Co-Founder PIPE Networks Limited

PIPE Networks About PIPE Networks ASX Listed company (ASX: PWK) Profitable Company on all measure of EBIT, EBITDA, cash flow etc Internet Peering point operator in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide. Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra 3 rd largest operator of metro fibre services in Australia Co-location provider Currently undertaking PPC – Sydney to Guam Submarine Cable

PIPE Networks Why should we care about Submarine cables High Capacity Lifeline New cables built for data (built for us) You are the customers – not the monopolists victim Informed choice for valuable section of supply chain

PIPE Networks What do you see as a customer of a Submarine Network Older cables – E 1, DS-3, STM-1, STM-4, STM-16 Newer cables – Optically muxed Gig-E, 2. 5 G Wavelength, 10 G Wavelength Typical choices for dry side cards are : • STM-64: XFP transceiver • 4 x. STM-16 • 8 x 1 Gb. E • 10 Gb. E WAN PHY (9. 95328 Gb/s) • 10 Gb. E LAN PHY (10. 3125 Gb/s)

PIPE Networks Before it all starts The route Factors effecting the route Market, topography, commercial activity, seismic activity, man made obstacles Permits Territorial Limits, Continental Shelves, Exclusive Economic Zones, disputed waters Manufacture Fully built before being laid, pressure tested. Room on the ship – how much cable can you carry

PIPE Networks The Cable Reasonably boring long haul fibre optic Secret sauce is the outer layer and the route Rock Armoured, Double Armoured, Single armoured, Light weight armour, special application and lightweight Type dependant on bottom conditions, artificial risks and depth

PIPE Networks Cable Station Interface between wet and dry plant You need two of them Do not have to be huge – adequate is good Beware somebody else’s cable station

PIPE Networks Driving the cable Lasers – Submarine Line Terminal Equipment

PIPE Networks Driving the cable Lasers – Submarine Line Terminal Equipment 10 Gig system using DWDM – multiple 10 G wavelength on a single pair CWDM Spectrum for 2. 5 G Power 1 x 2. 5 G 16 x 10 G Frequency DWDM Spectrum for 10 G services

PIPE Networks Driving the cable Lasers – Submarine Line Terminal Equipment Voltage – Power Feed Equipment (PFE) - DC and lots of it 10, 000 V DC not uncommon Dual fed CLS has power backup

PIPE Networks Driving the cable Lasers – Submarine Line Terminal Equipment Voltage – Power Feed Equipment (PFE) - DC and lots of it Splitters – Optically passive equipment that splits all or a portion of spectrum onto different physical paths – also called Branching Unit (BU).

PIPE Networks Branching Unit

PIPE Networks Driving the cable Lasers – Submarine Line Terminal Equipment Voltage – Power Feed Equipment (PFE) - DC and lots of it Splitters – Optically passive equipment that splits all or a portion of spectrum onto different physical paths – also called Branching Unit (BU). Amplifiers/Repeaters – every 80 km, dependant on OSNR and BU placement

PIPE Networks Fibre Amplifier/ Repeater

PIPE Networks Driving the cable Lasers – Submarine Line Terminal Equipment Voltage – Power Feed Equipment (PFE) - DC and lots of it Splitters – Optically passive equipment that splits all or a portion of spectrum onto different physical paths – also called Branching Unit (BU). Amplifiers/Repeaters – every 80 km, dependant on OSNR and BU placement Monitoring – in line OTDR working through EDFA

PIPE Networks Getting wet Beach manhole transition into the surf, very well earthed Conduit bored 900 m out from mean low water mark 30 m deep on land, 15 m mean depth enroute to 900 m Diver assisted with rotary wing support

PIPE Networks Giving Way Cable routes close to shore are usually a crowded space

PIPE Networks Giving Way Cable routes close to shore are usually a crowded space You need to build bridges Recovery order to ensure no damage to underlying system

PIPE Networks Keep under cover Deeper is better 2000 m or shallower – cable is buried Depth between 1 and 8 metres Going the long way – considerations include Geologic, Seismic, Topographical and many others

PIPE Networks Cable burial Keep under cover

PIPE Networks Know where you lie Positioning and Survey You may need to recover for repair or re-use GPS accuracy between 2 and 5 m Don’t be left suspended Up to 20 km of cable can be suspended during deployment operations

PIPE Networks Know where you lie Don’t be left suspended Sub Sea Burial Mean sea level Suspended fibre cable Ocean laid Terrestrial Trench/Valley

PIPE Networks Predators of the deep Sharks – mostly urban myth but the shark has always been a good scapegoat Squids – not caches

PIPE Networks Predators of the shallows Legitimate commercial activity Fishing, mining, shipping, military Not so legitimate commercial activity Local entrepreneurs – protection racquets – in some parts of the world quite legal or at least tolerated Submarine Protection zones

PIPE Networks Predators of the shallows Legitimate commercial activity Fishing, mining, shipping, military Not so legitimate commercial activity Local entrepreneurs – protection racquets – in some parts of the world quite legal or at least tolerated Submarine Protection zones Lawyers and International taxation specialists !

PIPE Networks Maintenance and repair Cable ship agreements - clubs Cable faults usually singular affairs, not always breaks Grapple the cable, double the ships does not halve the time If too deep – cable needs to re-laid as recovery impossible Overall – far higher MTBF than terrestrial cables

PIPE Networks Conclusion More of us will purchase submarine capacity Become an empowered consumer of these services

PIPE Networks Thanks – Steve Baxter steve@pipenetworks. com