GCX, E-marine Repair Falcon Submarine Cable

Global Cloud Xchange Press Release
August 25, 2020

Global Cloud Xchange and their partner E-marine complete repairs of GCX’s submarine cable system in the United Arab Emirates, while presented with unprecedented challenges and restrictions caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

LONDON & DUBAI, United Arab Emirates–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Global Cloud Xchange (“GCX”) a leading provider of global managed next-generation networks, and E-marine, a leading company in providing marine engineering and installation services for submarine cables, announces the successful conclusion of repairs of GCX’s submarine cable FALCON during the COVID-19 pandemic – despite stringent procedures and restrictions affecting permit regulations, logistics, and additional critical measures needed to ensure employee health and safety.

GCX issued a mobilization request to their trusted partner E-marine to support the repairs of its’ Falcon Gulf Loop in the UAE contiguous zone. During the repairs, countries across the world initiated lockdown measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and new procedures were being changed and implemented not only by Government regulatory authorities but also by customs, immigration, and local port authorities daily.

E-marine’s repair vessel CS Maram was quickly remobilized for the repairs, as it returned from work in the Red Sea after obtaining necessary clearances from the port authorities. GCX and E-marine teams worked diligently to a tight schedule to minimize any risks to the repair due to changing Government regulations. The health and safety of all ship and ground crews were of paramount importance. The Gulf submarine system was repaired and restored within a week of repair mobilization in late March.

E-marine PJSC was notified by GCX, regarding the fault offshore UAE. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of new safety rules & regulations by the authorities, it was very challenging to mobilize the Cable Ship immediately for the repair operation. However, considering the urgency, E-marine arranged permissions from concerned authorities and made exceptional efforts to mobilize the cable ship timely.

Further, during the operation, it was observed that the segment had multiple faults. Therefore, E-marine was requested to transport additional kits from their Depot to Cable Ship Maram on the worksite, which was promptly done by them by deploying an additional supply boat. The repair operation was completed on April 3, and traffic on cable was fully restored.

Omar Jassim Bin Kalban, CEO of E-marine said, “E-marine always takes extra efforts to protect the interests of our clients and restore services to the affected cables in the fastest way possible. Our strategic location in the region allows us to undertake repairs most efficiently, and the reputation that we have created with the relevant authorities in the region for more than three decades helps us to get operational permissions for our vessels and crew quickly, even in unprecedented situations like the ongoing COVID pandemic. Further, the operation needs to be done with the highest standards of Quality, Health, Safety & Environment (QHSE) regulations, to not put at risk the crew and the passengers alike. It is a difficult task, but our carefully laid operational norms/procedures and the deftness of our engineers & crew help us to perform the operations with aplomb safely.”

“Liaison with all cable landing stations were not without challenges, and workarounds for testing and powering had to be arranged. Procedures were modified, as local access to sites was restricted due to curfews and other lockdown rules,” said Surinder Sian, GCX’s Senior Marine Manager, who was supporting the operation virtually, as he was unable to join the vessel as GCX representative due to travel and quarantine restrictions.

Brad Kneller, GCX’s Head of Submarine Operations, commented, “we have a long and successful partnership with E-marine, providing repair and maintenance services for our cables in the Middle East and the Indian Ocean. Our priority, as in all repairs, is to return the cable to customer traffic as quickly as possible while ensuring the safety of all personnel at both E-marine and GCX. The pandemic presented significant additional challenges in this respect, which both teams worked through successfully to complete the repair of our FALCON cable system. GCX continues to build and operate reliable and resilient subsea connectivity solutions, and we look forward to many more years working with E-marine.”

Since late March 2020 and during the lockdown due to COVID-19, GCX has provided more than 2Tb of bandwidth services to their customers. GCX and E-marine initiated their Business Continuity Plans early to ensure the safety and well-being of their employees, partners, and to safeguard the continued operation of their company services. Through a strong partnership, successful repairs during a time of crisis prove it’s business as usual, even during a global pandemic.

About GCX

Global Cloud Xchange (GCX) offers network services that power digital transformation for enterprises, new media providers, and telecoms carriers. We cover all aspects of cloud-centric connectivity from managed SD-WAN and hybrid networks, to direct Cloud connections and 100 Gbps+ waves. With a pedigree going back 30+ years, GCX are experts in providing connectivity throughout the Emerging Markets Corridor into Asia via the vast GCX subsea network (the world’s largest private submarine cable network), with extensions available into more than 200 countries worldwide.

About E-marine

E-marine is the trusted principal provider of submarine cable solutions. With over three decades of submarine cabling experience, E-marine has pioneered the development of the region’s subsea cable infrastructure through its wide range of reliable solutions for the telecommunications and offshore energy industries.

With unrivaled expertise in submarine cable installation and maintenance, E-marine’s highly competent professionals also undertake submarine route surveys, cable transportation, consultancy, ROV inspection and burial and related operations for regional and international clients across the globe. The company has a fleet of four fully-equipped cable ships, one Multi-Purpose Vessel and a special purpose vessel with strategically located cable and storage depots in Hamriyah, UAE and Salalah, Oman.