Submarine Fiber Market to Hit $31.8 Billion by 2004

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 22 -- Total investment in the worldwide fiber optic submarine systems market will total $31.8 billion over the next five years, according to a report from market researcher Pioneer. This spending will represent a 169 percent increase over the amount invested during the previous six-year period (1993-1998), which totaled only $11.8 billion.
The forecast is based on Pioneer's international demand model, which predicts demand along six transoceanic routes and in seven regions, which together account for 92 percent of total deployment. The model examined Internet, corporate data, and voice traffic to determine capacity requirements in each region. The study predicts that the transpacific region and transatlantic region will be the leading areas of investment, receiving $7.5 billion (24 percent) and $5.6 billion (l8 percent) respectively.