Networks

Sep 26, 2024

Once a Builder of the Internet, Now an Adviser to Future Builders

Sylvie LaPerrière, one of TeleGeography's esteemed partners, is a known tech leader in the digital infrastructure community.

You might specifically know of her work as a team lead for Google's subsea cable Equiano along the Western Coast of Africa. Or perhaps you know her as a renowned internet governance advocate and interconnection strategist. 

We're so glad to welcome her decades of expertise to TeleGeography's Preferred Partners program. (This network of telecom professionals is like a telecom A-team ready to apply TG data to new and unique research projects. We're thrilled to take on new opportunities with them.)

Sylvie was kind enough to speak with our team about her take on the industry, advocating for women in telecom, and setting up her own consulting shop. Read our conversation below.

Sep 9, 2024

How Many Submarine Cables Are There, Anyway?

TeleGeography’s Submarine Cable Map recently hit a new milestone: depicting over 600 cable systems.

As of September 2024, that’s a whopping 532 in-service systems, with another 77 planned.

The number of cable systems we study is constantly increasing. This is due to massive investment in this infrastructure—both along major routes and to small islands—as well as our ongoing efforts to track global systems in more detail. 

The number of in-service systems is greater now than in any other year within the last two decades.

Sep 5, 2024

Hey, Who’s Using the Bandwidth?

To many people, the concepts of global network infrastructure and bandwidth markets are difficult to grasp. But to those who follow this sector, it's one of the most fundamental building blocks of the global economy.

You’ve likely heard that worldwide bandwidth demand is steadily increasing. A natural follow-up question: why? Who’s generating all of this demand?

Aug 22, 2024

A Whole Different Kind of Subsea Cable

A quiet August? Not for sharing tech and telecom stories around the TeleGeography office.

Take a peek at what we've been reading over the last month, from thought pieces on macroeconomic forces impacting enterprise networks to mulling over subsea energy interconnectors, as one does. 

Jul 17, 2024

That's Great, It Starts With an Earthquake

We started collecting our monthly dose of telecom reading recommendations when it occurred to us: this reading list is somewhat despairing.

Earthquake-based cable outages, infrastructure security concerns—a headline that literally includes the words "solar catastrophe." We don't mean to bring the room down with our July picks, but maybe have something lighter queued up for later.

Jun 27, 2024

A (Refreshed) List of Content Providers' Submarine Cable Holdings

For the last eight years, we've posted submarine cables owned by content providers over here. (Shout-out to the readers who had this one bookmarked.)

When we first published this list in 2017, we had 20 cables listed. Fast-forward to today, and our list has grown to 59—a sizable markup.

With such an uptick in content provider cables to track, we figured it was worth starting a fresh new list for you to bookmark.

Jun 25, 2024

It's Raining Cable Updates

Looking back on June 2024, we can't help but notice the plethora of submarine cable updates and announcements that littered our exchanges. (And you know we're always watching for the latest cable news.)

This month didn't disappoint. Just look at this small sampling of news and notes from around the industry in the last three weeks alone:

Jun 11, 2024

Mike Constable Considers Infrastructure from Every Angle

Mike Constable has logged many hours in digital infrastructure.

He's the mind behind Infra-Analytics Pte Ltd, a strategic consulting and advisory firm. His experience boasts time spent time in leadership and strategic roles, commercial, technical, and project management positions on both the supply and investment side.

Jun 3, 2024

Bandwidth Price Erosion: Accelerating on Some Routes, Still Stalled on Others

We’ve witnessed an unprecedented slowing of bandwidth price erosion globally over the past few years, as network investors, carriers, and customers grappled with delays in new network projects, existing system upgrades, and rising equipment costs.

For the first time, many customers found themselves asking if prices were actually increasing and when price declines would return to typical levels.

While the supply chain constraints and card shortages that spurred this trend have resolved themselves, geopolitical issues have not. As a result, recent price trends vary dramatically by region.

May 28, 2024

Why Does Diversity Matter for Submarine Cables?

Last week, I joined Ciena’s Brian Lavallée and Colt’s Laurent Taieb for a live webinar all about submarine cable route diversity and sustainability.

For my part, I covered why diversity matters for submarine cables—a very timely topic in light of recent events around the world.