The sheer scale and cost of deploying new subsea cable systems doesn’t exactly rest comfortably with the current global financial climate. Fiona Beck, president and CEO of Southern Cross Cable Network and president of SubOptic, explains to Alex Hawkes why upgrading existing systems is becoming an increasingly attractive option.
Operating a cable on one of the largest possible segments of undersea paths in the world perhaps offers an altogether fuller insight into the challenges facing subsea cable systems.
As president and CEO of Southern Cross Cable Network since 2001, Fiona Beck has tackled the major task of developing Australia and New Zealand’s first major cable system that connects to the US via Hawaii, covering a staggering 28,500km and costing $1.4 billion.
Leveraging on that experience, Beck was also appointed president of the subsea telecoms trade body SubOptic in 2007, where she has continued to promote the best interests and practices of the industry.
Through both these roles, Beck has witnessed the strong growth and development of subsea cable systems worldwide, in what she now calls an “increasingly competitive market”.
Although subsea cable operators each face challenges specific to their particular region, many have the common goal...