BOSTON, Aug. 3 -- Since the first transatlantic fiber optic cable was commissioned in 1988, the submarine fiber optics industry has experienced its share of ups and downs. The current submarine fiber optics market is strong, cable construction is at an all-time high and between now and the end of 2002, a staggering $28 billion will have been invested in submarine cable systems worldwide. But the tide is about to change direction in the years to come. Pioneer Consulting's latest report, Worldwide Submarine Fiber Optics 2001, has identified a five-year cyclical pattern in the market, characterized by "hiatus" and "steady growth" periods, and then backs up this finding with clear, accurate data on Investment, Capacity (lit and unlit), Route Kilometers and Fiber Kilometers. "Everyone involved in this industry knows that there are good times and bad times. What Pioneer has done is to define what those cycles look like and how long they last," said Julian Rawle, senior market analyst, submarine fiber optic at Pioneer Consulting. "This should assist companies in their business planning and allocation of resources." The Worldwide Submarine Fiber Optics 2001 report takes an in-depth look at the future of the submarine fiber optics industry and identifies the available market opportunities and values, the companies that will seize these opportunities and those who will not survive and what factors will continue to drive this market into the future. According to the report, between 1988 and 2007, over $100 billion will have been invested and nearly 1.5 million kilometers of cable installed in the worldwide submarine fibre optics systems industry. Worldwide Submarine Fiber Optics 2001 dissects the global submarine fibre optic systems market and provides its readers with the most comprehensive analysis of the industry. The report analyzes and provides forecasts on cable supply and traffic demand balances for three ocean routes - Transatlantic, Transpacific and North America to Latin America and four land regions - Europe Atlantic,Mediterranean Sea Region, Asia Pacific Region and Caribbean Sea Region. Beyond 2001, Pioneer predicts that Asia will become the leading region for generation of demand for submarine cable capacity.