This is the fibre optic cable that gets run under the sea — separated into different layers. The functional part of the cable is only 17mm thick. This is coated in a flexible white plastic, which forms the outer layer.
The cable is dropped straight to the sea floor without any weights or additional protection. The only additional baggage is the optical signal amplifiers, of which 121 were used in the connection from Sydney to Hawaii, one every 75km.
The inner most layer is the fibre optic cable, which is surrounded by a steel sheath. This is in turn coated in a copper sheet, which carries 12 kilovolts of charge to power the optical amplifiers.
The final lay is the white plastic insulation that protects the cable. Telstra claims the cables have a 25 year lifespan.
15%
7%
"A giant hydraulic machine sits on the back of the Ile de Sein. We don't know what it's for, but it's impressive."
That's all kinds of funny!!