Close Menu
    Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram X (Twitter)
    Blue Tech Wave Media
    Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Instagram X (Twitter)
    • Home
    • Leadership Alliance
    • Exclusives
    • Internet Governance
      • Regulation
      • Governance Bodies
      • Emerging Tech
    • IT Infrastructure
      • Networking
      • Cloud
      • Data Centres
    • Company Stories
      • Profiles
      • Startups
      • Tech Titans
      • Partner Content
    • Others
      • Fintech
        • Blockchain
        • Payments
        • Regulation
      • Tech Trends
        • AI
        • AR/VR
        • IoT
      • Video / Podcast
    Blue Tech Wave Media
    Home » Sparkle turns subsea cables into seismic sensors with EU backing
    fibre optic
    fibre optic
    IT Infrastructure

    Sparkle turns subsea cables into seismic sensors with EU backing

    By Eva LiApril 20, 2025No Comments2 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
    • Sparkle joins €4 million ECOTEL project to detect earthquakes via submarine fibre cables.
    • The system uses tiny light reflections to track seismic and temperature data in real time.

    What happened: Sparkle to install ECOTEL sensors on Mediterranean fibre routes

    Global telecom provider Sparkle has joined a €4 million European Union initiative to convert existing subsea fibre optic cables into advanced environmental sensors. The project, called ECOTEL (Earthquake and ecological monitoring through submarine TEL communications cables), is funded under the EU’s Horizon Europe program and involves multiple partners, including Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia and the University of Malta.

    ECOTEL aims to detect undersea earthquakes, temperature shifts, and ocean currents by harnessing the backscattered light—known as Rayleigh scattering—within fibre optic strands. The goal is to install low-cost systems at cable landing stations that monitor and interpret environmental data over thousands of kilometres of subsea infrastructure. Sparkle is contributing by deploying the system on its fibre pairs, notably across the Mediterranean.

    Also Read: Chile moves forward with Antarctic fibre-optic cable project
    Also Read: 
    ARTERIA & AT TOKYO install first fibre optic cable across port

    Why it is important

    Turning subsea telecom cables into environmental sensors offers a cheaper, wide-reaching alternative to traditional earthquake detectors. It allows for real-time quake alerts and better tracking of ocean changes linked to climate. Unlike special underwater sensors, ECOTEL uses cables already in place, cutting the need for new equipment. This move builds on progress in distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), which uses fibre optic lines to detect tiny vibrations and temperature shifts. 

    Projects like Google’s Curie cable and research by Alcatel Submarine Networks have also highlighted the potential of this approach. With around 1.4 million km of subsea cables in place globally, the impact of large-scale rollout could be transformative for early-warning systems and climate monitoring.

    Sparkle’s involvement indicates serious industry momentum behind the technology. “This cooperation represents a major step towards integrating telecom infrastructure with scientific research,” said a Sparkle spokesperson. With climate volatility and seismic risk both rising, the case for dual-use digital infrastructure has never been stronger.

    Earthquake sensors Fibre Optic Sparkle
    Eva Li

    Eva is a community engagement specialist at BTW Media, having studied Marketing at Auckland University of Technology. Contact her at e.li@btw.media

    Related Posts

    How AFRINIC’s board elections became a political battlefield

    July 14, 2025

    What happens after you submit an IP request to AFRINIC

    July 14, 2025

    Cloud Innovation calls for AFRINIC wind-up after ‘impossible’ election standards

    July 14, 2025
    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    CATEGORIES
    Archives
    • July 2025
    • June 2025
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • August 2023
    • July 2023

    Blue Tech Wave (BTW.Media) is a future-facing tech media brand delivering sharp insights, trendspotting, and bold storytelling across digital, social, and video. We translate complexity into clarity—so you’re always ahead of the curve.

    BTW
    • About BTW
    • Contact Us
    • Join Our Team
    TERMS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Terms of Use
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.