Cable damage: Net remains slower

MUMBAI: Even six days after the undersea cables that carry internet traffic were damaged off the Egyptian coast, services in India continue to remain slower than normal. Telecom operators say this is a function of the complexities involved in setting the problem right.
The cables that carry the traffic lies deep under the water. Not just that, the cable isn't buried.It is simply bound to the seabed at some locations using ‘stings'. As the currents change, the cables drift between these stings. That makes it tough for engineers to pin point the location where the cable is damaged. Add to this the fact that the damage usually isn't physical. It is electronic.
‘‘It's like detecting leakage of water in a pipeline,'' said a spokesperson for Flag Telecom, one of the affected companies. ‘‘You measure the quantity of water that gets in through point A. Then, you measure the quantity of water coming out at point B. Depending on how much water has been lost, you mathematically compute where the leakage is,'' he explained. In the case of undersea cables, you measure the amount of data lost in transit.
Using this technique, engineers have figured out that ground zero is within 8.5 kms off Alexandria in Egypt.
Having done that, they sent out two large ships carrying a few miles worth of fresh fibre optic lines to make the repairs. ‘‘These ships will be able to pin point the exact location where the damage has occured by Tuesday,'' said the spokesperson.
That done, the vessels will activate the high precision positioning system (DGPS), which allows the ship to hold the position so that it doesn't drift while the repair work in underway. Cable engineers will hoist the damaged part, and replace it with a new stretch of cable.
This process can take anywhere between 18-24 hours, say experts. The repaired cable will then lowered back to the seabed on ropes.
Until then, however, all major internet service providers in the city will be forced to divert data through the Pacific region, which means data has to pass via the US west coast and on to the east and finally to UK and Europe, causing a delay of for every single transaction.