Ocean Networks inks turnkey network development agreement for South America Pacific Link submarine network

Ocean Networks, Inc. and Ocean Specialists, Inc. (OSI) say they have signed a turnkey network development agreement for the South America Pacific Link (SAPL) submarine network. The SAPL submarine cable system will link South and Central America to the U.S. mainland in the first phase of deployment, with phase two adding a link to Hawaii.

OSI will provide full turnkey network development services to Ocean Networks, beginning from the current financing stage and continuing through implementation to network operations. The collaborators expect to reach this milestone for the first phase of the project early in 2019. OSI says it has completed more than 200 undersea network projects for telecom, oil and gas, and scientific industry customers around the world.

The first phase of SAPL's construction will see the submarine network connect Valparaiso (Chile), Manta (Ecuador), Balboa (Panama), and Jacksonville (Florida). The second phase will add an undersea cable route to Oahu. Ocean Network in 2014 selected Xtera to provide submarine line terminal equipment (SLTE) for the network (see "Ocean Networks taps Xtera SLTE for South America Pacific Link submarine network"). The systems house recently emerged from bankruptcy (see "Xtera emerges from bankruptcy with new ownership"). Ocean Network secured mezzanine funding for the project earlier that year, with an initial goal to begin service provision in 2016 (see "Ocean Networks secures funding for Pacific submarine cable").

Nevertheless, the project is moving forward, and Ocean Networks says it has received interest in the submarine cable system from investors, carriers, governments, content providers, and suppliers. "The SAPL system addresses the need for direct, carrier-neutral network capacity between regions that are growing exponentially. Our ability to fulfill significant capacity requirements, at wavelength and fiber levels, is unique on this route and will serve the needs of our customer community well," said Scott Schwertfager, Ocean Networks CEO.

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