Submarine cable "off line" three operators disaster preparedness test

"The American area of the ITunes store can't be connected (my limit is apps ...). We can only go back to China. March 11 21 o'clock in the evening, netizens "Wolf Gu Ghost" on the micro-blog helpless message, "I do not know when to repair?" "At 13:46 P.M. that day, a 9-magnitude strong shallow earthquake occurred in the sea near Honshu, Japan, which was rare in magnitude and destruction." In fact, since 2 o'clock in the afternoon that day, a large number of Chinese users have found that some websites in the United States, and even can not open the phenomenon.

The investigation of the cause of the accident is not difficult, it is the submarine cable that crosses the Pacific Ocean and travels through Japan-related waters. Internal news from China Telecom shows that more than 80% of the current Chinese communication lines to the US rely on undersea optical cables. It is these cable lines that are heavily laid on the seabed that carry a great deal of voice and data communications between China and the United States every day. Because of this, once the submarine cable failure, become a trigger "butterfly effect" starting point.

After Japan's 9-magnitude earthquake, several submarine cables passing through Japan-related waters failed. The route of three Chinese operators to Japan and North America has been affected to varying degrees.

"Due to the seabed operation, coupled with fear of aftershocks, the earthquake-induced submarine cable interruption, often difficult to repair in the short term." China Telecom insiders said frankly. The source said that up to now, the relevant aspects of the damaged submarine cable repair work has not been launched.

It is not uncommon, though, to drop cables from undersea cables caused by earthquakes and other disasters. But in the Trans-intercontinental Communication Network, the role of submarine cable can not be replaced. Operators said that although satellite and microwave can also be used for transmission, but by the channel, large-scale data and voice communications or rely on submarine cable.

1. Drop Line

The three major operators are affected by the earthquake-induced submarine cable fault in Japan

About 4.5 hours after the earthquake occurred in Japan, March 11 18:37, China Telecom on its official microblog disclosed that "affected by the Japanese earthquake, China Telecom through Japan to North America, the Japanese-American submarine cable, PC1 Sea cable in Japan's northern Cicheng near the sea failure." ”

This is the first Chinese telecoms operator to acknowledge the impact of the Japanese earthquake on its communications business. "The speed of the user's visit to the North American Internet station has a certain impact, but the international voice business is operating normally. China Telecom said in its official microblog.

According to our correspondent understand that the Japanese earthquake affected, China Telecom to North America direction of 105G Internet export circuit and 7G of the special line circuit interruption. The interrupted Internet circuit accounted for 13% of China Telecom's total export bandwidth, and accounted for 22% of North American export bandwidth.

In the evening, China Mobile also disclosed in its microblog: "The system has fallen by 50% per cent due to the Japanese local network." "More than this, China Mobile internet Shanghai International export to North America to rent one of the two international cables due to the earthquake interrupted, resulting in a partial congestion of international business."

China Unicom has not been able to completely avoid the adverse effects of the Japanese earthquake. Japan's Kitaibaraki submarine cable station was affected by the earthquake, the end of the station and the terminal circuit all interrupted, China Unicom part of the voice business has been affected. In addition, its from Panjiayuan to Germany telecom signaling link full resistance, affecting Germany and all the transfer of Germany Telecom outbound international roaming business.

Three Chinese telecom operators all said in the first time, will make every effort to repair as soon as possible.

As of the afternoon of March 12, China Telecom said that after the group and the American Company, Hong Kong company's overnight fight, because Japan's strong earthquake failure of China Telecom International export circuit has been restored 50G. At present, China Telecom International Voice, data services are basically back to normal. At the same time, China Unicom also said that it has completed the adjustment of alternative routes, voice services return to normal.

2. Submarine Optical Cable

Submarine cable is still a more cost-effective form of network connectivity, despite options such as terrestrial cables and satellites.

In the current trans-intercontinental Communication network construction, submarine optical cable is the most common form of cloth.

"There is no land link between some countries and regions and the Asian continent." Submarine cable has become a relatively reasonable network connection form. "Liang, a telecoms industry expert, said.

And because the submarine cable as the name suggests laying in the seabed, its design difficult and laying requirements higher. According to our correspondent understand, submarine cable to be able to adapt to the seabed pressure, wear, corrosion, biological and other environment; a suitable armored layer is available to prevent fishing trawl, anchor and shark damage; When the cable breaks, it minimizes the length of seawater seeping into the cable, and prevents the hydrogen from seeping into the cable from the outside and preventing hydrogen from being produced internally. And the general design life of more than 25 years.

"The cost and design of submarine optical cables are more difficult, coupled with the design of Cross-border problems." Therefore, operators often use the form of joint construction. "Liang analysis. December 2006, China Telecom, Netcom, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom, South Korea Telecom (KT) and Verizon in Beijing jointly announced the investment of $500 million trillion in building trans-Pacific Direct Cable system trans-pacific Express.

"In the global submarine cable, the fiber optic cable that connects the United States direction is the most important." China Telecom insiders told reporters. The United States as the birthplace of the internet, storing a lot of web and IM (such as MSN) servers, the global domain name of 13 root servers are 9 in the United States, log on to most. com,. NET Web site or send and receive e-mail, a lot of data to the United States to reach the destination.

"Once the submarine cable connecting to the United States is faulty, it has the greatest impact on the operators ' users," he said. "The analysis of the telecommunications insiders. The 9-magnitude earthquake that erupted in the vicinity of Japan affected the trans-Pacific Communication network that connects the United States.

3. Disaster preparedness Test

Although the magnitude and destruction of the earthquake in Japan are higher than in the past, but telecom operators to improve disaster preparedness capability, reduce the impact and loss

In fact, it is not uncommon for large undersea cable "interruptions" caused by earthquakes.

As early as 2006 12th, a strong earthquake in the south coast of Taiwan caused the interruption of some submarine optical cables, which affected domestic users ' access to some foreign websites. This has for the first time aroused public concern and reflection on the safety of submarine cable.

"For the earthquake this force majeure, itself is unable to evade." "Liang believes that the need to think about how to prepare a number of alternative communication solutions, in the face of unexpected events, can minimize the loss."

China Telecom, a person told reporters, China Telecom in response to sudden damage, has established a set of its own emergency mechanism.

"Such as the Japan earthquake, we can quickly coordinate other circuits to alleviate the pressure of some communication terminals." Said China Telecom Group.

China Unicom, in less than 24 hours, restored half the Internet circuit to the United States, and quickly completed the adjustment of alternative routes, thus resuming some of the interrupted voice communication.

And a number of people in the industry told this reporter, although the magnitude and destruction of the Japanese earthquake is higher than the earthquake in Taiwan, but the telecommunications operators for the speed of communication and response capacity, there has been a small increase.

"With the increase in the number of submarine cable laying, operators in response to the emergency deployment, will become more calm." "Liang said.

More than that, operators are also trying to get rid of their reliance on submarine cables in the network layout. Back in 2006, the Institute of Telecommunications has carried out a new round of international Communication Network planning, the main direction is to the existing network structure based on the Eastern Sea cable, into multiple directions, multi-channel exports, to strengthen the consideration of the northwest, south-west and other directions, as well as through the land cable, satellite and other means to establish international communications exports