There’s been a number of dialog in regards to the latest growth in submarine cable building. This flurry of exercise turns into clearer when our annual map is seen over time.
In the present day, we’re placing a number of years’ value of maps back-to-back to visualise an evolving undersea community. (And to reminisce about a few of our favourite designs, if I am being trustworthy.) Give every map a click on for a bigger interactive view.
2013 | An Vintage Exploration
Years in the past, our map detailed 232 lit cables and 12 that have been anticipated to return on-line earlier than 2014. The ultimate design charted submarine cable historical past, chronicling community latency and submarine cable capability.
2014 | Protectors of the Web
In 2014 we depicted 285 cable techniques that have been presently lively or because of enter service by 2015, in addition to the situation of 44 cable laying vessels.
The “Protectors of the Web” theme included protection of the businesses that really lay and preserve cables, with detailed data on cable faults and repairs, together with the variety of breaks and imply time to begin restore by nation.
2015 | Sub Cables and Sea Monsters
The following 12 months, we encountered a number of sea monsters alongside our annual lineup of submarine cables.
We charted 299 cables that have been lively, beneath building, or can be funded by the top of 2015. (Vox even made a nice undersea cable explainer utilizing this map!)
2016 | 321 Cable Methods Robust
You may name 2016 our Blue Interval.
We like to consider it because the 12 months our map documented 321 cable techniques. This version additionally consists of inset maps and infographics which can be as data-rich as they’re stunning.
2017 | The Adventurer’s Map
We would not blame you for those who wished to play the Indiana Jones theme within the background when you stare upon our 2017 map.
This version borrowed design concepts from your favourite fictional archaeologist, together with submarine cable details as a group of artifacts, journal entries, and hand-drawn sketches befitting of Indiana Jones.
2018 | Detailing 366 Methods
Our 2018 submarine cable map tracks 366 submarine cable techniques and 1,006 touchdown stations that have been lively, beneath building, or anticipated to be absolutely funded by the top of 2020. This purple projection has extra element than ever, charting fiber pairs, resiliency, and extra.
2019 | The Constructing Growth
The 2019 version is all in regards to the constructing growth. Infographics single out the economics of recent cables, traders, bandwidth demand, and—after all—a better have a look at how content material suppliers become involved.
In contrast to earlier submarine cable building booms, corporations like Amazon, Google, Fb, and Microsoft are taking a extra lively position. These corporations have unbelievable bandwidth demand for his or her information heart visitors, which is driving tasks and route prioritization for brand new cables.
2020 | A Rustic Throwback
Our 2020 version arrived with a new interactive expertise and free map downloads. This conventional, nostalgic design depicts 447 cable techniques and 1,194 touchdown stations that have been presently lively, beneath building, or anticipated to be absolutely funded by the top of 2022.
2021 | Shout-Out to the Sharks
Our 2021 Submarine Cable Map depicts 464 cables and 1,245 touchdown stations; 428 cables have been lively and 36 have been deliberate once we launched this candy-colored version.
There have been fairly a number of new graphics and FAQs to point out off. This version has trivia on cable suppliers, content material suppliers, deployments, fiber, and extra.
You may additionally discover a new shark good friend within the prime proper. You may need heard that sharks are recognized to chunk cables, however bites like this have not accounted for a single cable fault since 2007. The vast majority of injury to submarine cables comes from human exercise, similar to fishing and anchoring.
2022 | And It Was All Yellow
Our 2022 Submarine Cable Map acquired as much as 486 cable techniques and 1,306 touchdown stations. It outlined:
- Building Prices: Regardless of delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic, new system spend rebounded in 2020 to $2.7 billion.
- Content material Suppliers Utilizing Capability: Content material suppliers’ worldwide bandwidth development outpaced that of all different prospects. By 2017, content material suppliers had surpassed web spine suppliers as the most important customers of worldwide capability.
- Fiber Pairs: Within the Atlantic, rising demand necessities are resulting in a considerable improve within the fiber pair rely per cable.
2023 | Windrose Networks
What has dashing beauty and depicts 529 cable techniques and 1,444 landings? The 2023 Submarine Cable Map.
Trying intently, you may discover sea monsters, ornate compass roses, and windrose networks woven in. Traditionally, a windrose community was an important navigational assist discovered on portolan charts and different early nautical schematics used through the medieval age and the Age of Exploration.
2024 | A Map Safari
We added a safari theme to our map repertoire with the 2024 Submarine Cable Map. This good-looking version explored international connectivity from the ocean to the cloud, depicting 559 cable techniques and 1,636 touchdown stations.
On the backside of the map, you’ll discover extra insights on cable building, cable investments, and cloud infrastructure.
2025 | Going Darkish
This futuristic, high-contrast 2025 design depicts 597 cable techniques and 1,712 landings. For these conserving rating, that is 38 extra cable techniques and 76 extra landings than the 2024 version.
On the backside of this map, we zero in on Networks of the Future with potential capability, used capability, and cable deployment stats for six main submarine cable routes: Trans-Pacific, U.S.–Latin America, Trans-Atlantic, Europe–Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe–Asia through Egypt, and Intra-Asia.
