The Future of Submarine Cable Maintenance: Trends, Challenges, and Strategies

The Future of Submarine Cable Maintenance: Trends, Challenges, and Strategies

As the backbone of the digital economy, submarine cables carry nearly all intercontinental data and require significant investment to maintain. 

So how do we understand and address the challenges facing the maintenance sector?

This landmark report, by Mike Constable of Infra-Analytics and TeleGeography’s Lane Burdette and Alan Mauldin, provides context and insights for industry professionals, government policymakers, and other stakeholders to understand further the significance of this critical sector and its role in ensuring the security and resilience of submarine digital infrastructure.

Topics include:

• A forecast of how the anticipated increase of new cable kilometers and corresponding cable faults may influence the demand for repair vessels
• The context of the evolving regulatory and geopolitical macro-environment that will continue to shape the submarine cable ecosystem
• Guidance for industry leaders to consider the future requirements and sustainability of the maintenance sector and address the broad range of challenges it faces.

This study was finalized in 2025. You can access the most up-to-date forecasted data for kilometers of new and retiring submarine cables with a subscription to our Transport Networks Research Service. These forecasts extend for 10 years and are updated annually.