SubTel Forum Issue 149 – Regional Systems OUT NOW!

SubTel Forum Press Release
July 20, 2026

SubTel Forum is proud to announce Issue 149 of Submarine Telecoms Forum Magazine, an edition that examines how regional systems, resilient infrastructure and practical innovation are shaping the next chapter of global connectivity.

From the infrastructure supporting the AI era to the policy, commercial and operational decisions behind regional subsea networks, Issue 149 brings together perspectives from across the submarine cable ecosystem. Readers will find timely analysis of fiber optics, offshore energy, Caribbean and Hawaiian connectivity, cable governance, commercialisation, resilience and repair coordination.

What's Inside Issue 149

This issue opens with “Symbiotic Acceleration: Why Connectivity Is Becoming as Important as Power in the AI Era” by Joel Ogren, exploring the connected digital infrastructure that powers AI. It also looks at the integration of fiber optics into offshore power cables in “Integrated Fiber Optics: Supporting Sustainable Energy, Offshore Wind and the Global Transition to Renewables” by Tobias Borg.

Feature Articles

• Symbiotic Acceleration: Why Connectivity Is Becoming as Important as Power in the AI Era — Joel Ogren
• Integrated Fiber Optics: Supporting Sustainable Energy, Offshore Wind and the Global Transition to Renewables — Tobias Borg
• TAM 1: Redefining Regional Connectivity Across the Americas — Alasdair Wilkie
• Clearer Waters: Indonesia Consolidates the Governance of Regional Cable Systems — Marshall Jahja
• From Seabed to Service: Commercialising a New Submarine Cable in Small and Developing Countries — Paul McCann and John Hibbard
• Regional Subsea Systems: Enabling Resilience Value in the Digital Economy — Daniele Silva
• Hawaiian Islands Fiber Link (HIFL): Strengthening Hawai‘i’s Digital Future Through Regional Submarine Connectivity — Cliff Miyake
• The Birth of Optical Fibre Communications: A Very British Story — Stewart Ash, Stuart Barnes, Phil Black, Bill Burns and Chris Swan
• When Subsea Cables Fail, Repair Coordination Becomes the Real Fault Line — Gaya Byrne
• From Maxwell’s Equations to Subsea Fibre Optics (Part 3) — Anna Bridget Sheehan and Derek Cassidy

Submarine Networks World 2026 (SNW 2026)

Submarine Networks World 2026 (SNW 2026), alongside the new Subsea Security World, convenes the global subsea telecommunications community at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore on 23-24 September 2026. Issue 149 includes 6 Questions with Adam Ball, Terrapinn’s General Manager. The official programme foregrounds the industry's shared priorities: resilient regional connectivity, cable security and protection, investment, technology, data centres and cable landing stations, permitting, marine services and network operations and maintenance.

Agenda highlights include a keynote panel on synchronising subsea security and policy in practice; global project presentations; sessions on capacity technology, data-centre direct connectivity, resilience and permitting; and a Day 2 keynote on the balance between data sovereignty and global connectivity. The programme also includes dedicated tracks for strategy, network, operations and maintenance, and Subsea Security World.

Register with the official 10% promotion code: SUBTEL10.

Regular Departments

Readers can also catch up on SubTel Cable Map Updates, Analytics, Sustainable Subsea, Cable Ships, Capacity Connection, Permitting Pathways, Fault Lines, Legal & Regulatory Matters, Back Reflection, On the Move and Submarine Cable News Now.

Special Thanks to Our Issue 149 Advertisers

We are grateful to the organizations whose support helps SubTel Forum continue delivering informed, independent coverage of the global subsea telecommunications industry.

Alaska Communications

Alaska Communications highlights its cable landing operations on the U.S. West Coast, with two strategically located stations and services including 24/7 monitoring, remote hands support, redundant backup power and secure, scalable infrastructure.

Assured Communications

Assured Communications presents the infrastructure and expertise behind the AI era, connecting subsea connectivity, terrestrial fiber, networking, power and cooling from strategy through deployment across land, sea and sky.

Hexatronic

Hexatronic showcases customized submarine fiber-optic cable logistics and complete cable solutions, from a few kilometres to thousands, with scalable passive fiber infrastructure and fast response, turnaround and delivery.

Southern Cross

Southern Cross promotes 400GbE availability, offering a fast-lane capacity message for regional connectivity across its cable network.

WFN Strategies

WFN Strategies brings independent, vendor-neutral global subsea expertise from strategy to sea, with full-lifecycle consulting, implementation, in-field oversight and operations capability across telecom, power and hybrid systems.

Read the new issue and join the conversation shaping resilient regional connectivity.