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Subsea Cable Maintenance

At Global Marine we provide submarine telecom cable maintenance services to around 120 maintenance authorities around the globe, with the primary aim of keeping our customers subsea fibre optic cable systems fully operational.

Unrivalled expertise

Global Marine has unrivalled expertise and experience as well as an exceptional knowledge base with a commitment to advancing technological solutions, which means that we are a trusted and reliable partner of choice for organisations wanting to maximise the return on their cable system investment.

Expertise and Experience

It is our main objective to ensure that system downtime is minimised and that a broken segment of cable is repaired as quickly as possible, therefore Global Marine tries to mitigate the impact of these incidents by providing maintenance solutions that reflect each zones or customers individual requirements for quality, reliability, responsiveness, dependability, and speed of repair.

What we cover:

  • Repair, maintenance and improvement of scheduled cables
  • Complete requirements for submarine telecommunications cable maintenance from beach joint to beach joint (but excluding shallow water and the beach joint itself – unless specifically contracted)
  • Depot Services for supervised storage of system submersible spare plant and its testing. We have depots located strategically across the globe, to ensure rapid mobilisation for planned maintenance and emergency repairs, including Portsmouth, UK and Tenerife, Canary Islands.
  • Shallow water repairs (subject to quotation)
  • Universal Joint (UJ) jointing services
  • UJ & Cable Services, including cable qualification, training at our bespoke training school and the supply of innovative jointing solutions
  • Global Marine also provides additional offshore maintenance services as required, i.e. cable burial, shallow water repairs, cable and spare plant testing, offshore liaison and charting, marine surveys, and documentation management services (managed by our sister company, OceanIQ).

Results

Global Marine consistently achieved 99.4% of the contractual KPIs established in the three zone maintenance agreements where it provides contractual services. In addition to zone, we can offer tailored maintenance models, based on budget and service requirements, but at the present time our key service offerings are zone focused.

Main Contractual Key Performance Indicators

  • Vessel mobilization duration and spares loading/offloading speed
  • Ship transit speed to repair site
  • Overall repair operation times as per defined water depth
  • Reporting

Track Record
  • Global Marine has played a pioneering role in the development of cable repair and maintenance solutions, is a founding member of the Universal Joint Consortium (UJC), and recently developed an industry leading digital X-ray camera
  • Our own maintenance data for the period shows that Global Marine only experienced 0.6% of operational/mechanical down time for the three contracted zone maintenance agreements 
  • Global Marine Group holds an historic global database reflecting systems from the telegraph era, right through to the most recent fibre optic systems. The database also holds records of over 5,500 historical cable faults, which is an invaluable tool for planning new cable routes. A percentage of these have occurred as a direct result of having poorly managed cable records. Visit our sister company, OceanIQ, to find out more about our wealth of subsea cable data.

Resources

Maintenance Vessels and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)

Submersible Spare Plant Depots

  • UK – Portland Depot (ACMA Agreement)
  • Bermuda Depot (ACMA Agreement)
  • British Columbia, Canada – Victoria Depot (NAZ Agreement)
  • Spain – Tenerife Depot (ACMA Agreement)
  • Philippines – Subic Depot (SEAIOCMA Agreement)

Maintenance Agreements and Consortiums

These services are provided via the zone maintenance agreements: ACMA, NAZ and SEAIOCMA. For these Global Marine provides fully equipped maintenance vessels, ROVs, and highly qualified experts to manage and support all types of cable repairs.

SEAIOCMA – South East Asia and Indian Ocean Cable Maintenance Agreement

Global Marine has been repairing cables in Asia since the 1930s due to the exceptional service delivered to submarine cable owners in the region. The first SEAIOCMA agreement was signed in 1986, superseding earlier agreements dating back to 1978, which included the 1st SEA-ME–WE cable (coaxial) linking Singapore to Medan, Colombo and Djibouti. The SEAIOCMA agreement covers longitudes from Djibouti to Guam, and latitudes from Taiwan to Australia, covering an area of approximately one-third of the earth’s oceans.

The Cable Retriever is dedicated to SEAIOCMA and it is based at Subic Bay in the Philippines, where Global Marine also owns and operates the Subic Cable Depot. The maintenance vessel and the ROV XT 601 is available to its members 365 days per year on a call-out basis under strict KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). Due to the vessel being berthed alongside Global Marine’s cable depot in Subic port – where the members’ submersible spare plant is stored under permanently monitored conditions as per manufacturer specifications – mobilizations can be undertaken very rapidly, within 24 hours from call-out.

Besides cable repair operations, Global Marine’s maintenance vessel and ROV can also undertake submarine cable maintenance and improvement works including marine surveys, burial assessment and ROV burial.  Subject to the Agreement Maintenance Authorities approval Global Marine, can also undertake third party installation works.

Global Marine's Cable Retriever

Cable Retriever at sea

NAZ – North American Zone

The NAZ agreement is a non-profit cooperative agreement, run by the members for the members. Its primary purpose is submarine cable repairs. This maintenance zone agreement covers submarine systems in latitudes from the Bering Sea and Alaska in the North, to the Equator in the South, and longitudes from the West Americas to approximately 167º West Longitude.

The Cable Innovator and the ROV ST205 are available to the NAZ members 365 days per year on a call-out basis under strict KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), which include mobilization within 24 hours from call-out. Besides the maintenance vessel and ROV, Global Marine also provides submersible spare plant storage services through its depot located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Besides cable repair operations, Global Marine’s maintenance vessel and ROV can also (via the agreement) undertake operations for submarine cable maintenance and improvement works, marine surveys, ROV burial and selective Out Side Work tasks as approved by the Management Committee. The agreement also includes other services that include charting/documentation management, offshore liaison, fault location, UJ jointing services, shallow water repairs and land cable repairs. The latter two services are subject to quotation.

 

Global Marine's Cable Innovator

Cable Innovator

ACMA – Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement

The ACMA agreement is a non-profit cooperative agreement, run by the members for the members. Its only purpose is submarine cable repairs. ACMA’s sole purpose is for the cable repair and maintenance of systems in the North and South Atlantic, English Channel, North Sea, Caribbean Sea and South East Pacific. The agreement also includes submersible spare plant storage services in depots located in Portland (UK), Brest (France), Bermuda and Tenerife (Spain).

Other services available include charting/documentation management, offshore liaison, fault location, UJ jointing services, shallow water repairs and land cable repairs. The latter two services are subject to quotation.

Besides cable repair operations, Global Marine’s maintenance vessels and ROVs can also (via the agreement) undertake operations for submarine cable maintenance and improvement works, marine surveys and ROV burial.  The Western base vessel can also undertake selective Out Side Work tasks as approved by the Management Committee.

The Wave Sentinel with the ROV Atlas 1 and the C.S. Sovereign with ROV Atlas 2 are dedicated to ACMA 365 days per year on a full call-out basis.

The Wave Sentinel is stationed in Curacao, alongside the submersible spare plant depot. The Sovereign is based in Portland, UK, alongside Global Marine’s submersible spare plant depot.

For more information please visit the ACMA website in https://www.acma2017.com

Global Marine's Wave Sentinel

Wave Sentinel

PIOCMA – Pacific and Indian Ocean Cable Mutual Assistance (Agreement)

The PIOCMA agreement comprises NAZ, Yokohama Zone and SEAIOCMA agreements. The agreement provides mutual support when natural disasters occur, providing an additional layer regarding the risk management solutions available to these agreements’ members.

The last time PIOCMA was invoked, was during 2006 Taiwan earthquake, that resulted in a dramatic speed reduction of internet traffic due to simultaneous faults in several cables. More recently PIOCMA was on alert following the Japanese Tsunami in 2011 although it was not called upon.

 

Our Latest News:

Posted: 02/02/2024

Cable Innovator successfully completes a cable-lay for the Neptune Observatory.

We are delighted that our vessel, the Cable Innovator, has successfully completed a cable...

Posted: 02/02/2024

January rowing challenge conquered!

We take immense pride in recognizing the outstanding achievement of our GMG rowing team...

Posted: 17/10/2023

Inspiring volunteers – raising awareness and vital funds for MNDA

Big charity challenges are a regular event at Global Marine Group. 2023 was no...

Posted: 13/10/2023

Inspiration and hope at the Ninos Pag Asa Centre Olongapo, Philippines.

Captain John Tollady from the Cable Retriever, shares his account of a long overdue...

Posted: 15/09/2023

Turning the Tide – playing a critical role, maintaining our critical global internet infrastructure, day in, day out

We caught up with our Chief Officer Kaya Teare about life offshore as a...

Posted: 12/09/2023

Inspiring future generations into the exciting telecoms sector

Our Head of Asia, Sheryl Ong, is going to be presenting at the SubOptic Foundation Symposium to...

Posted: 08/03/2023

Global Marine mark delivery of 80th digital X-Ray camera

Chelmsford, 8 March 2023. Global Marine, a market leader in subsea fibre optic cable...

Posted: 02/03/2022

Cable Retriever Awarded UK Met Office Certificate of Excellence for 2021

In recognition of the high standard of weather observations undertaken voluntarily at sea Cable...

Posted: 28/09/2021

Future Proofing the UK’s Critical Subsea Cable Infrastructure

As an independent island nation, the UK is heavily dependent on the uninterrupted provision...

Posted: 06/09/2021

GLOBAL MARINE CONDUCTS CABLE ROUTE SURVEY FOR SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT’S REACHING 100% PROGRAMME

Global Marine has completed the initial subsea fibre-optic cable route survey scope for the...

Posted: 25/08/2021

Interview with Melissa Webster

Junior Systems Technician We recently spoke to Melissa Webster, a Junior Systems Technician on...

Cable Retriever at sea
Posted: 20/07/2021

SEAIOCMA Extends Cable Maintenance Agreement with Global Marine

Five-Year Extension Runs to End of 2025 Global Marine, a leading provider of subsea...

Posted: 25/06/2021

Day of the Seafarer 2021

To mark the IMO Day of the Seafarer 2021 we spoke to two of...

Posted: 15/03/2021

Global Marine Awarded 16-Cable R100 Project by BT

Global Marine has been awarded the desktop study, survey and cable installation scope as...

Cable Retriever
Posted: 16/02/2021

Cable Retriever awarded UK Met Office Excellence Award

In recognition of the high standard of weather observations undertaken voluntarily at sea Global...

Posted: 01/02/2021

Global Marine Group signs the Neptune Declaration

Global Marine Group, along with over 450 other organiations have joined forces to help...

C.S. Sovereign telecoms cable ship
Posted: 25/11/2020

ACMA 2017 AGREEMENT EXTENDED TO THE END OF 2025 WITH SUPPLIERS GLOBAL MARINE AND ORANGE MARINE

The Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement (ACMA) members and their suppliers Global Marine and Orange...

Posted: 13/10/2020

KEEPING THE GLOBAL MARINE GROUP FLEET SAFE AND OPERATIONAL THROUGHOUT 2020 – A YEAR NO-ONE PREDICTED

The United Nation’s World Maritime Day held at the end of September shone a...

OceanIQ Brand Logo
Posted: 21/09/2020

Global Marine Group Launches OceanIQ® Consultancy Business – utilising rich subsea data

Global Marine Group (GMG) a leading provider of subsea cable installation and maintenance services...

Posted: 08/09/2020

Global Marine Awarded Desk Top Study for Singapore India Gateway Cable System

Global Marine, a leading provider of subsea fibre optic cable installation and maintenance solutions...

Posted: 18/08/2020

SEA-KIT USV successfully completes 22 days of offshore operations in the Atlantic Ocean

We’re pleased to share this exciting press release from SEA-KIT celebrating the return of...

Posted: 14/07/2020

Group Annual Awards 2020

We recently celebrated our annual awards to recognise some of the shining stars within...

Posted: 18/06/2020

Global Marine Cadet Awarded Engineering Cadet of the Year

Today marks what should have been the graduation ceremony for students from the City...

Posted: 10/06/2020

Keeping our manufacturing operations moving throughout the pandemic

As part of the wider Global Marine business, our UJ team are quite unique...

Posted: 02/06/2020

Working together with our supply chain to maintain continuity for our customers

During subsea fibre optic cable repairs, universal joints (UJ) are used to reconnect damaged...

Posted: 20/05/2020

Adapting to ensure a continuation of service during COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect businesses and individuals globally, like everyone, we’ve been adapting...

Posted: 24/03/2020

Adapting to ensure a continuation of service: Our response to COVID-19

In light of recent developments and UK Government guidelines, we wanted to update our...

Posted: 02/03/2020

J.F. Lehman & Company acquires Global Marine Group

Global Marine Group (“GMG” or the “Company”), a leading provider of subsea cable installation...

Posted: 31/01/2020

HC2 Holdings Announces Definitive Agreement to Sell Global Marine Group, Excluding the HMN Joint Venture, for $250 Million

The Global Marine Group is extremely pleased to announce that an agreement has been...

Posted: 25/06/2019

Global Marine Group to Safeguard Ørsted’s UK Power Cables Under the Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement

Global Marine Group (GMG), supported by its business units Global Marine, Global Offshore and...

Posted: 08/03/2019

Meet some of our inspirational ladies on International Women’s Day

In 2019, the focus of International Women’s Day is about balance. Balance drives a...

Posted: 28/02/2019

Osbit to deliver next generation Subsea Plough to Global Marine Group

Osbit Limited, the offshore technology and engineering company, has secured a contract with Global...

Posted: 22/08/2018

Global Marine completes two offshore oil field communications contracts for Tampnet

Global Marine, a market leader in subsea fibre optic cable installation and maintenance solutions...

Posted: 01/08/2018

Global Marine Group handed RoSPA Order of Distinction (19 consecutive Golds) Award for health and safety practices

Global Marine Group has been issued a prestigious award in recognition of its practices...

Posted: 24/07/2018

Nurturing the next generation of engineers

For the last couple of weeks, Megan, an A level student from Great Baddow...

Posted: 05/07/2018

Global Marine Group to Ride 350km for corporate charity, the Jubilee Sailing Trust

Next week, a team of amateur and enthusiastic riders from Global Marine, CWind and...

Posted: 04/07/2018

Celebrating the successes of our people

At the end of June we held our Annual Awards Evening recognising employees and...

Posted: 03/05/2018

CEO Today Magazine Announce Ian Douglas as a European Award Winner 2018

Ian Douglas Wins CEO Today Magazine European Awards We are pleased to officially announce...

Posted: 12/04/2018

Contract Awarded for Sub Sea Cable Replacement in Orkney Isles

Global Offshore is pleased to share Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks’ latest press release regarding a...

Posted: 14/02/2018

Global Marine Group presented prestigious Shipowner of the Year Award by Offshore Support Journal

The Global Marine Group (GMG), a market leader in offshore engineering services to the...

Posted: 20/12/2017

Global Marine Group announces new business unit ‘Global Offshore’ to serve the oil & gas sector

The Global Marine Group (GMG), a market leader in offshore engineering services to the...

Posted: 01/12/2017

Global Marine Group completes acquisition of Fugro’s trenching and cable lay business

Acquisition Further Positions Global Marine Group for Significant Offshore Power Market Opportunities Chelmsford, Friday...

Posted: 07/11/2017

Global Marine Group launches new Safety Management System

Global Marine Group (GMG) has launched a new Safety, Security and Environmental Management System...

Posted: 12/10/2017

Global Marine Group to acquire Fugro’s trenching and cable laying business

Acquisition further positions company for significant offshore power market opportunities Chelmsford, Thursday 12 October...

Posted: 05/09/2017

Global Marine Group Awarded Order of Distinction from Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents

Chelmsford, Tuesday 5 September 2017. The Global Marine Group (GMG), a market leader in offshore...

Posted: 31/08/2017

Global Marine Group Chooses Port of Blyth to Extend UK Footprint

Chelmsford, Thursday 31 August 2017. The Global Marine Group (GMG), a market leader in offshore...