Submarine systems supply market rebounds

摘要

The submarine system supply business has always been a cyclical industry. Nevertheless, the big boom and bust in the early years of this new century have left an indelible mark on the submarine cable industry. Longstanding suppliers have left the submarine business (i.e., KDDI-SCS and Pirelli), reducing the number of competitors in the repeatered systems market from six to four. The remaining suppliers have seen production capacity closed down and staff downsized. They are fighting fiercely for new business and to expand into nontraditional marketplaces (e.g., oil/gas platforms, homeland security, and scientific observation). New entrants are also beginning to make their mark.