Data Centers
Submarine Cables
The ocean arteries carrying most international traffic
8 articles
Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN): Why France Nationalized the World's Biggest Subsea Cable Maker
ASN (Alcatel Submarine Networks) is the French company that leads the world in manufacturing and laying submarine cables. After passing from Alcatel-Lucent to Nokia ownership, it was nationalized at the end of 2024 when the French state (APE) acquired 80% of its shares. This deep dive analyzes ASN — holder of the largest share of new submarine cable systems and builder of many hyperscaler projects — from both the technology and market sides. It does not cover the stock.
記事を読む Company Deep Dive: NECNEC's Submarine Cable Business: One of Only Four Companies That Can Build the Internet's Undersea Backbone
NEC is one of Japan's flagship IT and network-infrastructure companies. But one of its lesser-known identities is far rarer: it is one of only four companies in the world that can manufacture submarine cables. Alongside France's ASN, America's SubCom and China's HMN, NEC handles everything from cable and optical-repeater manufacturing to laying and maintenance. This deep dive focuses not on NEC's IT and systems-integration business but on NEC as a submarine-cable and communications-infrastructure player, unpacking its business structure and competitive environment with sources from securities filings and IR materials. It does not cover the stock or investment advice.
記事を読む Company Analysis / FujikuraFujikura: The 140-Year-Old Japanese Cable Maker Wiring AI Data Centers With Light
Founded in 1885, Fujikura is one of Japan's Big Three wire and cable makers — but what has investors looking again is not copper, it is light. Fujikura is the world leader in fusion splicers, the machines that join optical fibers in the field, and a global top player in multi-fiber connectors and ultra-high-density cables. This quiet company underpins the optical cabling running through AI data centers. We break down its segments, technology moats, and competitive structure with figures from earnings and IR filings.
記事を読む Submarine Cables / Japan Landing StationsJapan's Internet Comes Ashore at Just Two Places: Chiba and Mie
Most trans-Pacific cables reaching Japan land in just two areas: Chiba Prefecture (Chikura and Maruyama) and Mie Prefecture (Shima). Why these two coastlines — and what is actually inside a cable no thicker than your thumb? A map of Japan's cable landing stations and an interactive 3D cross-section, built from Japanese primary sources.
記事を読む Submarine Cables / Data Center SitingAlmost All International Internet Traffic Travels on the Ocean Floor — Not Through Satellites
Cloud and AI traffic crosses oceans through fiber-optic cables lying on the seabed, not through satellites. That is why where you build a data center comes down to how close you are to these lines on the ocean floor. This article unpacks the link between submarine cables and data center siting — including why Japan sits at a pivotal point on the trans-Pacific routes.
記事を読む Submarine Cables / Cuts and RepairWhen a Submarine Cable Breaks, a Ship Fishes It Up and Splices It by Hand
Submarine cables break 150-200 times a year worldwide, mostly snagged by fishing nets and ship anchors. So how do they get fixed? A repair ship hooks the cable off the seabed with a grapnel, hauls it up, and splices the optical fibers back together on deck. Here is how cable faults happen and how the repair actually works.
記事を読む Submarine Cables / Complete GuideHow Submarine Cables Work: Your Videos Cross the Ocean Floor, Not Space
Cloud, AI, Netflix, YouTube — almost all of it travels through cables on the ocean floor, not satellites. Who builds them, who owns them, and where do they come ashore in Japan? This guide maps the entire submarine cable landscape and tells you where to start reading.
記事を読む Submarine Cables / Makers, Owners, MarketOnly Four Companies in the World Can Build Submarine Cables
Just four companies — ASN, SubCom, NEC, and HMN — can effectively manufacture and lay submarine cables. Meanwhile, ownership has shifted from telecom carrier consortia to Google and Meta. Who builds them, who owns them, and where is the market headed?
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