The Impact Of Beautiful Data

By Kieran Clark
March 25, 2021

What is Beautiful Data?

Beautiful Data is the idea that information should be presented in both a useful and visually pleasing manner. Additionally, this information should strive to be dynamic in nature as much as possible since these days static data becomes useless data very quickly.

Over the last two years, SubTel Forum and WFN Strategies have worked to keep the idea of Beautiful Data in mind with all of our publications, products, and services. Using tools like ArcGIS Online for interactive maps and various web applications for interactive elements have allowed us to provide data in interesting, accessible, and beautiful ways. The internet that this industry works so hard to maintain enables us to provide truly innovative and interactive experiences for our readers and clients.

These types of visual and interactive tools have impacted nearly all aspects of business in both SubTel Forum and WFN Strategies.

Maps

Figure 1: Image of the SubTel Cable Map

The most obvious impact that the idea of Beautiful Data has had is on our mapping capabilities. Our maps are no longer just a simple, static representation of submarine cables around the world but include useful data that helps to inform people about the state of the industry. The print map now includes data centers and symbolizes cable systems based on their age – take a look at the Transatlantic region to see at a glance just how old much of that infrastructure is! Additionally, we have included a number of charts to provide further insight into the current state of the market.

The online SubTel Cable Map (Figure 1) has gone through a number of iterations over the past two years as we have worked to refine the data and presentation. The latest rework of the map has put it into an ArcGIS Online Dashboard. This has allowed us to provide our users the tools to sort and filter data based on their own specific needs in a quick and intuitive manner. If you want to know how much capital was invested in Transpacific routes or how many kilometers of cable have been recently installed in the Americas, you can now do so with a single click. Additionally, searching for cable systems by name, supplier or installer has never been easier – simply pull up the side panel to access all the available data filters.

Don’t just read about this great tool, check it out for yourself here: https://subtelforum.com/cablemap/

To continue reading the rest of this article, please read it in Issue 117 of the SubTel Forum Magazine on page 8 or on our archive site here.