North American service providers continue to increase their use of trans-Atlantic and/or trans-Pacific submarine cables to support enterprise demand for connectivity to foreign business clients and subsidiaries. However, network planners must do their homework and identify if and where these services should be used, and if backup plans are required.
The following actions should be completed during the feasability study that determines if and where to use trans-oceanic submarine cable services:
- Determine if and where submarine cable services are appropriate.
- Identify potential business risks from service disruption.
- Review service provider backup capabilities.
Once the above items are reviewed, enterprises can determine if submarine cable connectivity services provide a strong value proposition for business-critical applications – with an acceptable risk.