Cable & Wireless Global Marine plans global seabed database

Cable & Wireless Global Marine is secretly working on an integrated database for the world's underwater cable industry, Silicon.com can exclusively reveal.

A source close to the situation said Cable & Wireless Global Marine's R&D division is developing a database for the entire industry's environmental surveys, so that companies need not duplicate each other's work on the sea bed. The database is expected to concentrate primarily on the Atlantic Ocean, between Europe and the US.

Companies installing cables on the sea bed currently spend years researching the ideal location. Even before the actual survey, contractors must assess the geology, fishing seasons and landing sites in a desk study. If the client then rejects the site, all that research is wasted.

If successful, the master database will enable companies to access each other's research. This could cut the cost and time of installing underwater networks and make it easier to expand existing networks.

Paul Gabla, director of central marketing at Alcatel Submarine Networks, had not heard of the proposal, and was dubious about its success. "So far, it has been fairly difficult to share information on this, due to competition between WAN operators," he told Silicon.com. "I'm not sure they will want to do this."

But Graham Evans, business development director at EGS Subsea Geosciences, which merged with Cable & Wireless Global Marine last week, has presented papers on the need for a global, integrated WAN database at recent industry events.

Evans is unable to comment on Cable & Wireless Global Marine's activities until early next year, when the company will provide a full progress report.