[Tyler]

Robots Seek Cause of Middle East Cable Cuts
     

The popular media is full of hype and conspiracy theories about the
causes of the recent submarine telecom cable outages. What really
happened? Undersea robots are seeking the answer. FLAG
Telecom reports that the February 1 Falcon cable cut between Dubai
and Ai Seeb was caused by a ship's anchor. The abandoned anchor, weighing
over 5 tons, was even found at the site of the break. An ROV is now
inspecting the January 30 cable cut near Alexandra, Egypt. To find the
cut, the robot has to travel along the length of the cable until a break
is found. Once the break is found, the robot assists in the repair by
cutting out the damaged section and retrieving the severed ends of the
cable for repair aboard a ship. A BBC article
has details the location and technology of the undersea cables. FLAG
Telecom relies on a number of ROVs including the Pacific
Scarab, Triton ST200 and Nerus II. Because of the potential revenue
loss caused by this type of disruption, companies that manage undersea
cables are turning to more advanced types of undersea robots including
Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
(AUVs) that may be able to speed repairs and maintenance.
   

http://robots.net/article/2464.html