Exclusive interview with Submarine Networks EMEA organisers

Author: Simon Rowley

Ahead of the upcoming Submarine Networks EMEA 2025 event, taking place on 18-19 February at the Business Design Centre in London, Simon Rowley, Editor of DCNN, speaks with Harry Baldock, Editor of Total Telecom – the event’s organiser – about what visitors can expect from this year’s two-day show.

DCNN: For our readers who may not be familiar with Submarine Networks EMEA, what can you tell them about the event?

Harry: Submarine Networks EMEA is the largest annual subsea connectivity event, bringing together the over 1,000 senior leaders from across the industry for two days of networking and vibrant conference sessions. The event takes place at the Business Design Centre in London and attracts attendees from all over the world.

Total Telecom has been hosting this event since 2018, during which time it’s gone from strength to strength, becoming a mainstay for the subsea community every year.

DCNN: What are some of the biggest trends impacting subsea connectivity at present, and in what ways will these be reflected at the show?

Harry: Personally, I think there are three big themes we’re seeing in the submarine cable space right now: security, geopolitics, and the recent boom in AI-powered data centre investment. Increasing security concerns, driven by the unstable global situation, are leading to tighter regulation and therefore more hurdles to be overcome when connecting cables to certain countries. This is leading to costly delays in planning and deployment – in some cases, sections of cable have already been built, but regulatory changes have left their owners unable to activate them.

On the other hand, the booming data centre market is presenting many new opportunities for the subsea industry. All of these data centres will need global connectivity and their deployment is triggering a new wave of cable deployment, particularly in previously underserved areas.

Other important topics include cable sustainability, maintenance, and recycling; cable deployment and repair ships; SMART cables (built with sensors to capture scientific data); subsea regulation; and training the next generation of professionals in this often-underappreciated industry.

DCNN: How many exhibitors will be in attendance at this year’s event, and what products or innovations will be showcased?

Harry: There will be over 50 exhibitors at the show this year, showing off a wide variety of new projects and technologies.

The core of the exhibitors, of course, are those showing cable system-related solutions – from landing station technology to the latest optical technologies. But there are many more players that play a role in a successful subsea cable project – for example, cable builders and operators, data centre operators, cable deployment experts, optical networking solutions providers, public sector officials, and national regulators. All of these will feature representation on the show floor at Submarine Networks EMEA.

DCNN: The event will also include a jam-packed conference programme. What’s in store for visitors this year, and what are expected to be among the highlights of these sessions?

Harry: The telecoms and tech industries have become ever more interwoven in recent years, and this is clearly reflected in our conference agenda, which touches on everything from cable investment strategies to integrating sensing technologies. Our morning keynote sessions are always a major highlight; this year, our Day 1 keynote focuses on the privatisation of the submarine cable industry and the role of the hyperscalers, while Day 2’s will focus on the rapidly expanding data centre environment.

On a personal level, as a journalist, I really enjoy the ‘News in Brief’ sessions – 10-minute updates on various cable projects around the world. They are always crammed with information. They also tend to include interesting anecdotes about overcoming challenges along the way, whether its decommissioning sea mines in the North Sea or having engineers canoe around the Norwegian fjords as part of the cable planning process!

Lastly, a major goal for the event has always been to shed light on this niche industry as a career path and to help nurture the next generation of subsea professionals. Our Junior Top Dogs networking event, taking place on Day 2, is specifically designed to give students and other newcomers to the industry the opportunity to talk directly with industry veterans.

You can check out our full agenda by clicking here.

DCNN: Data centres are listed among the nine key themes that Submarine Networks EMEA will tackle. Could you expand on this notion and provide insight as to what visitors can expect with regards to this?

Harry: As I’m sure your readers are aware, the data centre industry has been booming, with the hyperscalers pledging to invest billions of dollars in new data centre deployments in the coming years. Those same hyperscalers – like Meta, Google, and Microsoft – are also the key movers and shakers of the submarine cable industry, typically playing a leading role in the consortiums that build the submarine cables.

The relationship between submarine cables and data centres is quite fundamental. More data centres being deployed globally will have major implications for the type and capacity of new cable systems deployed, and where these systems will interconnect with terrestrial networks.

The Day 2 opening keynote focuses on this topic in detail, asking how the AI-driven data centre surge is impacting the subsea sector and what the two industries can learn from each other.

DCNN: What are some of the biggest challenges in the subsea connectivity sector in 2025?

Harry: As mentioned, cable security is a big challenge. We’ve seen lots of cable damage in key geopolitical hotspots in recent years – particularly the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the waters around Taiwan – and, while accidental damage to cables happens every year, deliberate sabotage is suspected in a number of cases.

Physically monitoring and defending such massive cables is a technical challenge of huge scope and financial cost, but one that the industry is under increasing pressure to solve.

These security fears are, in turn, leaching into the regulatory landscape, which is at risk of becoming more intrusive and potentially obstructive to subsea projects. This is particularly the case in the US, where the Federal Communications Commission is currently reworking its submarine cable regulations for the first time since 2001! Just this month we have seen the UK government take steps in a similar direction, launching a subsea cable security enquiry this year and seeking to identify emerging threats in this space.

As a result, submarine cable projects are likely to be more closely regulated, causing delays and additional expenses. In some cases, cable systems could be forced to circumvent some countries or bodies of water entirely.

But the geopolitical uncertainty of the modern world is not all doom and gloom for the submarine cable industry. With national governments growing increasingly picky around how their international data is transported, opportunities to build new cables to meet these needs are beginning to arise. Greater submarine cable diversity means more choice for customers and reduces reliance on individual cables.

DCNN: Is AI having a big impact on this sector, and if so, will this be a big theme throughout the event?

Harry: I would describe AI’s effect on the sector as indirect but significant. As mentioned, AI is spurring a major investment in specialised data centres and seeing global data usage estimates increase massively. The submarine cable industry will have to adapt to this changing environment, though modern cables should be able to handle the predicted increase in data transport.

Perhaps more interesting, the cable owners themselves are making increasing use of AI when planning and operating these systems, particularly regarding automation. This can deliver some huge cost-savings, enhance network monitoring, and support predictive maintenance.

DCNN: What are the show’s organisers most excited about heading into this year’s exhibition?

Harry: We’re thrilled to once again be at the heart of such a vibrant industry! We’re very lucky that the submarine cable industry is extremely collaborative by nature, and so great conversations are never far away. We’re looking forward to providing a forum for these discussions and helping the community tackle some of the biggest challenges in the sector today.

DCNN: Is there anything else you’d like DCNN readers to know about?

Harry: There is an oft-quoted figure in the industry that submarine cables carry over 95% of global internet traffic, but the vast majority of people do not even realise they exist. So, my message to readers would be: don’t forget about the submarine cable industry! It’s a huge, unseen part of our global digital fabric and becomes more diverse and broader in scope every year.

Whether you’re dipping your toes into the submarine cable industry for the first time or you’re an industry veteran looking for a deep dive, Submarine Networks EMEA will put you at the heart of the industry.

Submarine Networks EMEA will be taking place on 18–19 February at the Business Design Centre in London. If you’d like more information or want to get involved in Submarine Networks EMEA, please contact the event’s Project Director, Laura O’Reilly, at laura.oreilly@totaltele.com.