Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
ASN is a leader in providing the connectivity we all enjoy. The company designs, makes, delivers, and maintains advanced fiber optic cabling, laying thousands of kilometers of it across ocean floors to carry the terabits of data the world needs.
It is a huge operation that benefits from being overseen at the company’s main plant in Calais, France. Here, cabling is made with precision, care and expertise, and projects are designed while evaluating marine elements from ecosystems to tectonic plates.
“Our survey teams identify a route that avoids disruption, balancing the engineering requirements with the environmental care,” says David Tossell, Director of Marine Engineering at ASN.
ASN is majority-owned by the French state, and noted for employing its own fleet of seven ships for the task of laying and maintaining the subsea cables.
Echoing the company’s care for the environment, the vessels are continuously upgraded to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Similarly, ASN’s advanced navigation software and cutting-edge subsea equipment ensures the expert installation crew can monitor progress of burial operations, delivering accuracy in real time.
ASN’s real-world projects bring together rigorous engineering requirements and environmental responsibility, adapting systems to the unique environment. Crucial to operations is the quality of the optical fiber that carries the data.
In Calais, ASN integrates millions of strands of glass, each measuring less than a millimeter in diameter, under strictly controlled conditions. The glass is then coated with several protective layers of different materials, each one tested for strength, clarity, and performance.
The company specializes in custom-designing every section of fiber optic cabling to meet the specific environmental challenges and sensitivities of each project. It considers everything from marine-protected areas and fishing zones to sensitive ecosystems and seabed topography.
“We approach design with humility. Rather than expecting the environment to adapt to the system, we adapt the system to the environment,” says Emmanuel Danjou, Director of Business Development at ASN.
ASN proposes a future in which the world is connected by advanced technologies that also enable the protection of both the marine environment and local communities. In this, the company aligns with SDG 14, to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
By working with the ocean’s ecological sensitivities and solving the complex challenges they bring, ASN ensures more responsible, future-proof outcomes.
“Every phase of the operation from the first survey to the final burial follows strict environmental protocols. The decisions we make are shaped by decades of experience and respect for the marine environment,” says Tossell.
ASN has laid more than 850,000km of submarine fiber optic systems – that’s enough to circumnavigate the globe 21 times.
