Glad holidays, TeleGeography Explains the Web listeners.
What have been the large cable headlines of this yr, and what do it’s essential to find out about transport networks in 2026?
To seek out out, we’re kickstarting our three-episode evaluate of What to Know within the New Yr. To start out, we have now a submarine and terrestrial infrastructure evaluate alongside associates of the pod Lane Burdette and Paul Brodsky.
Take heed to the total episode beneath.
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Key Takeaways
The Submarine Cable Funding Growth Will Maintain Boomin’ in 2026
Whereas 2025 was already a powerful yr with roughly 15 new submarine cables getting into service—representing about $3.2 billion in worth—2026 is projected to see almost 40 cables come on-line.
This potential surge represents a capital expenditure of roughly $6 billion, which is the very best quantity seen in not less than a decade. Regardless of this large inflow of capability, analysts don’t foresee a worth collapse as a result of a lot of this infrastructure is being constructed immediately by content material suppliers, corresponding to Google, for their very own inside use reasonably than for aggressive sale.
Geopolitical Conflicts are Forcing New Route Diversification
The Pink Sea has turn into a vital bottleneck on account of battle in Yemen, which has made it extraordinarily tough for restore ships to safe permits to repair broken cables, leaving some methods stranded indefinitely. To mitigate reliance on this route and the normal transit by means of Egypt, the business is more and more creating terrestrial fiber networks by means of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, and Israel.
Moreover, new submarine routes are being designed to skirt different delicate areas, such because the South China Sea, using paths by means of Indonesia and the Philippines as an alternative.
Energy Availability for AI is Dictating Community Geography
The rise of AI is reversing conventional community planning; reasonably than information facilities being constructed the place networks exist, community connectivity is now “chasing” information facilities to places the place electrical energy is accessible.
This has led to infrastructure growth in novel places starting from West Texas and Iowa to Christmas Island, the latter serving as a brand new hub for Google’s methods. As a result of the long run bandwidth calls for of AI are nonetheless unknown, corporations are prioritizing the buildup of darkish fiber and various routes now to make sure they don’t seem to be caught brief later.
Terrestrial and Subsea Networks Face Drastically Totally different Bodily Limits
There is a large disparity in capability potential between terrestrial and submarine networks as a result of availability {of electrical} energy for sign amplification.
Whereas terrestrial conduits can assist hundreds of fiber pairs as a result of energy is definitely accessible, submarine cables are presently restricted to roughly 24 fiber pairs due to the issue in sending electrical energy throughout oceans to energy amplifiers.
Consequently, whereas subsea capability is a scarce asset, terrestrial builders can push large quantities of bandwidth and concentrate on creating resilient mesh networks with 4 or 5 various routes into key nodes.
Extra Cable Content material
The Way forward for Submarine Cable Upkeep: Tendencies, Challenges, and Methods
How will we perceive and deal with the challenges going through the submarine cable upkeep sector? That is what Mike Constable of Infra Analytics and TeleGeography’s Lane Burdette and Alan Mauldin lay out on this landmark report. Obtain the report right here.
Subsea Cables, Defined
Earlier this yr, we launched a particular six-part collection on the whole lot it’s essential to find out about submarine cables. ⬇️
Shore Issues: A Knowledge-Pushed Have a look at Submarine Cable Touchdown Stations
The place are submarine cable stations situated? What’s the common variety of cables per CLS? This evaluation by Lane Burdette summarizes the information from TeleGeography’s new cable touchdown station (CLS) database. View and save the report.
Transport Networks Analysis Service
Knowledge and evaluation on long-haul networks and the undersea cable market, with forecasts of worldwide bandwidth provide, demand, costs, and revenues. Check out the platform right here.
IP Networks Analysis Service
Knowledge and evaluation on worldwide web capability, visitors, service suppliers, and pricing, with forecasts of IP transit service volumes, costs, and revenues by nation and area. Take a look at the way it works.
