High reliability submarine optical cables and their use in scientific applications

Over a hundred years of development of submarine cables for the telecom industry has resulted in highly reliable commercially off the shelf (COTS) products. These field-proven cables are now readily available for use in challenging non-telecom underwater projects. The paper details the design requirements for high reliability cable and some of the key considerations that should be made in the selection of a product for submarine use. These include the stability under load and pressure, protection from environmental effects such as hydrogen through to the choice of the optical fiber itself. A typical range of fully proven cable types and armor packages are described with advice on the selection process for different seabed conditions. An example of a telecom cable ready chosen and installed for an offshore observatory project is given.