Fiber Optic Network

In 2007, BP built an 800-mile undersea fiber optic system in the Gulf of Mexico to provide continuous broadband connectivity to the company's offshore oil and gas facilities. The system allowed greater operating flexibility, including the potentail for BP staff onshore to control offshore facilities remotely. The project was part of BP's overall strategy to ensure that key oil and gas production facilities around the world provide reliable supplies to market at times of greatest need. Excess bandwidth was made commercially available for third party deepwater operators. TYCO Telecommunications constructed the undersea fiber optic system.

Designing an undersea (or submarine) fiber-optic cable system is a complex task that requires detailed consideration of a wide range of factors. Here are some important considerations:

1. Route Survey and Planning: The path of the cable must be carefully surveyed and planned to avoid sensitive marine environments, active fault lines, areas of volcanic activity, and heavy shipping lanes where the cable could be damaged by anchors.
2. Cable Design: The cable must be designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the sea floor, including extreme pressure, low temperatures, and the potential for damage from marine life or human activity. This might include incorporating additional protective layers or materials into the cable design.
3. Signal Loss and Amplification: Fiber-optic signals degrade over long distances due to a phenomenon called attenuation. Repeaters (or optical amplifiers) are placed along the cable to boost the signal and prevent data loss. The number and placement of these repeaters is a critical consideration.
4. Redundancy: To prevent a complete loss of service in the event of a cable break, systems may be designed with redundancy in mind. This could include laying multiple cables, or having alternate routing options available.
5. Maintenance and Repair: Given the difficulties and costs associated with repairing undersea cables, systems should be designed with a focus on reliability and longevity. However, a plan for detecting and repairing faults quickly and efficiently is still necessary.
6. Terrestrial Connections: The undersea cables must connect to terrestrial networks at cable landing stations. The location and capacity of these stations, as well as the infrastructure connecting them to the wider internet, are important considerations.
7. Capacity and Scalability: The system should be designed with sufficient capacity to meet projected demand. The use of dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) can greatly increase the amount of data that can be sent over a fiber-optic cable. Consideration should also be given to future upgrades and expansions.
8. Environmental Impact: Any undersea project must take into account its potential impact on marine ecosystems and comply with relevant environmental regulations and standards.
9. Legal and Regulatory Considerations: Laying of undersea cables often involves crossing international waters and landing in multiple countries, each with its own legal and regulatory requirements.
10. Budget and Financing: Such projects are hugely capital-intensive, requiring significant upfront investment. Engineers must deliver a design that meets all technical requirements while staying within budget.

Each undersea fiber optic system project will have unique considerations depending on the specific route, environments encountered, and technological requirements.