Scientific Monitoring Equipment on Commercial Undersea Cables The Cable Owner’s Perspective Bob Wargo ICPC Executive Committee ITU Symposium on ICTs, the Environment and Climate Change Montreal, Quebec, Canada May 29-31, 2012

Full Disclosure I have worked for AT&T for over 21 years, all of it in undersea cables. While my opinions are formed by my experiences there they are not the opinions of AT&T. I am confident that they represent the views of a majority of undersea cable owners.

Undersea Cables are “Green” Saves air travel via the use of telepresence. Recovered cable raw materials are recycled and reused. Out of service cables have been donated to scientific organizations. Newer generation of cables are upgradable. Cable remains in service longer Transmission capacity increased at terminals

ICPC is supportive of Green initiates We are committed to working closely with ITU, WMO and UNESCO in studying and understanding the key issues with the use of submarine telecommunications cables for ocean and climate monitoring and disaster warning. Legal and Regulatory Commercial Security Liability

The ICPC may support… Standards specifically related to the data and power interfaces between the sensors and repeaters however… Once the science community has specifications on the sensors and interface (data, power, physical), then an assessment can be made regarding the benefit and need for new standards, if there are no existing standards to cover this.

ICPC does not support… Mandatory requirements to include monitoring equipment in the repeaters of all telecommunications cables The decision to include monitoring equipment should be based upon a cable operators’ independent assessment of the technology, its appropriate application, the planned cable route, consideration of regulatory impacts, and the operators’ business case. Standards on undersea repeaters in general. We do not see the benefit of introducing new standards given the successful track record of the undersea cable industry

ICPC recommends caution… On cables with sensors that may have a negative impact on the traditional freedom to lay and maintain cables as guaranteed by UNCLOS specifically, Monitoring equipment installed on repeaters in Territorial Sea, EEZ or Continental Shelf waters that may bring about concerns over Marine Scientific Research Those systems with sensors deployed in the EEZ may require additional permitting requirements in some coastal states; those requirements should not be forced onto “traditional” undersea cables

Summary/Way Forward The ICPC is committed to working with the ITU, WMO and UNESCO on understanding the issues related to undersea cables used for scientific monitoring. Cable owners, in general, do not want new mandatory requirements or standards that could affect our business. Need to be cautious not to run afoul of Marine Scientific Research and regulatory requirements associated with it.

ICPC - Sharing the seabed in harmony