Original article published on Cloud POST
Fiber Under The Sea Holds Tremendous Promise, Requires Accountability
By Jim Fagan, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, GlobalCloudXchange
If there was ever a doubt about the importance of the Internet and the need for high-quality connectivity, the global pandemic has provided clarity. The Internet not only provides connection around the world, it promotes communication, introduces conveniences, provides access to information and supports the ability for people to work, school and entertain from anywhere.
During the pandemic, average international Internet traffic increased 48 percent. Nevertheless, the 2020 Inclusive Internet Index shows that nearly half the world remains unconnected. Ensuring that the Internet continues to support the massive growth of online activities – and for the unconnected world to be reached with the Internet – requires understanding and investment in subsea technology.
As a matter of fact, “several studies, including one by the IFC, have established a clear correlation between enabling increased access to broadband services through submarine cables and a significant rise in GDP. This leads to ever-increasing demand for more bandwidth which cannot be met by traditional “wireless” technologies, such as satellite, and can only be satisfied with fibre-optic technology,” says Julian Rawle, Principal at JRC, a consulting firm that specialises in submarine fibre-optics. “Not only does expanding the global subsea cable network bring economic and social benefits but these cables also bring new ideas and ways of thinking which help to enfranchise so many more people around the World than would otherwise be the case”.
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