Subsea cable provider Southern Cross Cable Network (SX) and deep-tech fiber sensing company FiberSense have announced an expansion of their partnership with the implementation of FiberSense's DigitalMarine subsea cable monitoring capability across SX's New Zealand shore-end infrastructure. The Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN) spans 30,500 km and connects Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the US.
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Real-Time Monitoring of Infrastructure
In a LinkedIn post, FiberSense said its technology will provide 24/7 monitoring of Southern Cross' subsea infrastructure. The system will specifically monitor both shore-ends (from the cable landing station to the first repeater) as well as the terrestrial network connecting the two landing stations, offering total "always on" coverage.
"We are extremely pleased to collaborate with FiberSense and integrate the distributed fiber sensing service into a live traffic-carrying fiber via the proprietary FiberSense Marine Interface Unit, where sensing occurs outside the frequencies used for data traffic wavelengths," said Southern Cross Cable Network.
Technology Integration Without Disruption to Traffic
With FiberSense's Marine Interface Unit, cable operators no longer need to reserve an unused or dark fiber core exclusively for monitoring.
"FiberSense has developed a proprietary coupling methodology to ensure that the sensing signal does not interfere with the operation of communications traffic, including fault states," the statement said.
FiberSense added, "In partnership with SX, we have now delivered a series of world firsts in subsea networks. We look forward to further innovations in subsea technology that balance increased resilience and situational awareness with industry-leading fail-safe architectures."
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Rollout Timeline
The integration of FiberSense's DigitalMarine service in New Zealand marks the first stage of SX's rollout plan for the new technology. By the end of Q3 this year, the technology will be installed on all critical terrestrial links and out to the first repeaters of the SX network in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States West Coast, the company said.
