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Sharks prefer a low-fibre diet


Sharks are not the nemesis of the Internet, says the


International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), which has released an analysis of the main causes of submarine cable breaks. Essentially, sharks and other fish were responsible for less than one per cent of all cable faults up to 2006. Since then, no such cable faults have been recorded, the organisation says. Sharks became the scapegoats


for submarine cable failures last summer when a rediscovered YouTube video of a shark biting a subsea cable caused a media storm. A chance comment from Google that it was reinforcing its subsea cables with a Kevlar-like material added fuel to the fire. Some commentators believed the video demonstrated that worldwide telecommunications were under attack by sharks. According to the ICPC, however,


ships’ anchoring and fishing activities are the main culprit for cable failures, accounting for 65-75 per cent of all cable faults. Natural phenomena, such as subsea landslides and ocean currents, are responsible for up to 10 per cent of faults, while cable component failure accounts for a further five per cent. The cause of about 10–20 per cent of faults cannot be determined, but the ICPC says it is unlikely that shark bites are overlooked, because bites leave evidence in the form of teeth imprints or actual teeth embedded in a cable’s sheathing. The latest analysis, covering 2007


to 2014, recorded no cable faults attributable to sharks. Due to increased shipping and fishing activities on the continental shelf, fibre-optic cables are now protected by the addition of steel wire ‘armour’ to the cable’s exterior, as well as burial up to 3m below the seabed.


Adieu JDSU, welcome Viavi and Lumentum


JDSU has completed the spin out of its optical components business, now called Lumentum. With the spinoff complete, JDSU’s remaining Network Enablement, Service Enablement (SE) and Optical Security and Performance Products (OSP) businesses were renamed Viavi Solutions. As well as saying farewell to


the old company name, Viavi is also saying goodbye to president and chief executive Tom Waechter. After successfully


leading JDSU through its transformation into Viavi, it emerged that he ‘will be pursuing other business and personal interests.’ Viavi announced that Waechter had stepped down from his role at Viavi less than two weeks after the split became effective on 1 August. Waechter, who had led JDSU for six years, will be replaced on an interim basis by former Quantum CEO Richard Belluzzo, who is chairman of the newly formed Viavi.


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