Sorry, the Cybergeography Research web pages are no longer being updated. The project ran from 1997-2004, but my research has moved away into other areas (see my blog for latest). If you have any questions or comments, please email me at: m.dodge (at) manchester.ac.uk. 

Cheers, Martin Dodge, February 2007.

| Introduction | Whats New | Conceptual | Artistic | Geographic | Cables & Satellites | Traceroutes |
| Census | Topology | Info Maps | Info Landscapes | Info Spaces | ISP Maps | Weather Maps |
| Wireless | Web Site Maps | Surf Maps | MUDs & Virtual Worlds | Historical |


Mapping fibre optic networks, submarine cables
and telecommunications satellites


Terrestrial high-speed fibre optic network, long-haul submarine cables and telecommunications satellites provide the vital infrastructure that wires the world together. Maps are used to plan, manage and promote this infrastructure.

Street Level Fibre Optic Route Maps

A street level route map of the fibre-optic backbone in the city of Palo Alto, California. The map shows the routes as of April 2000.

The network is operated by the City of Palo Alto Utilities.

Palo Alto Fiber Route Map - click for larger image

 

Bamdwidth Bay map - click for larger image

This image is from Bandwidth Bay interactive network map which allows you to explore the fiber optic networks and wired buildings in downtown San Diego. The interactive map was developed by the San Diego Geographic Information Source.

"A Tour of the Bandwidth Bay Fiber Network Map", a paper by Andrew G. Abouna gives more technical details on the map.


A map of the fibre optic cables in downtown Philadelphia, produced by the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation.

The thicker and darker the red, the more fibre-optic cables run down that street. The yellow diamonds are locations of telecoms hotels.

Philadelphia fibre map - click for larger version

 

An example of the detailed city maps of fibre routes produced by TeleGeography. This example shows the Interoute's fibre ring for Amsterdam.

TeleGeography's metropolitan area networks report provides technical data and detailed maps on many network providers in major U.S. and European cities.

TeleGeography Amsterdam Fibre Route Map - Click for Larger Version

 

Regional Fibre Optic Route Maps

Georgia Atlas - click for larger image

The Georgia High-Speed Telecommunications Atlas provides detailed route maps of multiple fibre optic network providers within the state. The atlas uses an interactive mapping system, shown opposite, allowing you to explore the data fully.

It is being developed by the Georgia Center for Advanced Telecommunications Technology and the Center for Geographic Information Systems. Below is an example of their print quality maps.

Further information is given the paper "Georgia High-Speed Telecommunications Atlas: An ArcIMS Implementation", by Steven P. French and XuDong Jia.

Georgia Atlas - click for larger image

Oregon Fibre Route map - click for larger image
Detailed map of the fibre optic routes in the metropolitan region of Oregon, USA. A series of maps are available for the whole state, produced by the Oregon Economic & Community Development Department.

 


Long-Haul Submarine Cable Maps

Alcatel map - click for larger image

The Alcatel map of submarine cable systems across the globe.

KDD Asian map - click for larger image

A map from KDD Submarine Cable Systems Inc. showing the submarine cable infrastructure in the Asian region in 1996.

KDD is a major telecommunications company and its submarine cable division is one of the leading contractors laying and maintaining cables around the world.

Below is an another map from KDD showing the cable infrastructure for the Mediterranean region in 1996.

KDD map - click for larger image

South American Crossing - click for larger image Pan-European Crossing - click for larger image

Maps of the network infrastructure of Global Crossing, one of the leading network operators. These maps show the state of built and planned networks in South America and Europe, in spring 2000. See their network map.

The route map of the three phases of the Africa ONE fibre optic cable.
Africa ONE - click for larger image

C&W UK network - click for larger image

Cable & Wireless is global telecommunications carrier operating undersea cables in many different regions of the world. The maps show Cable & Wireless's UK and European network facilities.

C&W European network - click for larger image

The TeleGeography, Inc. research consultancy tracks the global geography of submarine and satellite telecommunications infrastructure. They publish detailed maps, like the one show opposite. TeleGeography poster - click for larger image
KMI map - click for further information KMI Corporation specialises in research on fiber-optic markets and they produce a series of maps of land and submarine cable infrastructure. A small example is on the left.

The cable and satellite infrastructure of Teleglobe Inc., a global telecommunications corporation, as of November 1999.

Teleglobe map - click for larger image

Williams Communications map - click for larger image
A map of the extensive fibre optic network of Williams Communications spanning much of the USA. The map shows the extent of the network as of January 2000. For the latest information you should consult their interactive map.

 

For further information on submarine cable infrastructure see the comprehensive resource "Submarine Cables of the World WWW Information Page", maintained by the International Cable Protection Committee.

Also, see the article "Mother Earth Mother Board" by Neal Stephenson, from Wired (December 1996) where he looked at the FLAG project. The article "Evolution of a Wired World: the growth of an undersea, international network" by Susan Dumett in Pretext Magazine (March 1998) traces the history of submarine cables.

Communications Satellites

SaVi - click for larger image

Constellations of satellites, such as the Teledesic system, are being deployed to provide global network infrastructure. The SaVi (satellite visualization) system can visualise the orbital patterns of these satellites as shown in the example images here. SaVi was originally developed by Robert Thurman and Patrick Worfolk, in The Geometry Center, University of Minnesota.

Click on the image on the right to see an animated version (536KB).

Click for animated version

J-Track 3D - click for larger image

This image shows J-Track 3D, an interactive visualisation of satellite tracks created by the Mission Operations Laboratory at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

These are footprint maps which show the geographic coverage of Intelsat communications satellites in different regions of the world.

Telstar 8 footprint map - click for larger image
Telstar 5 footprint map - click for larger image
These footprint maps show the coverage of Telstar 8 and Telstar 5 telecommunications satellites. The Telstar fleet of satellites is operated by Loral Skynet.

 

| Introduction | Whats New | Conceptual | Artistic | Geographic | Cables & Satellites | Traceroutes |
| Census | Topology | Info Maps | Info Landscapes | Info Spaces | ISP Maps | Weather Maps |
| Wireless | Web Site Maps | Surf Maps | MUDs & Virtual Worlds | Historical |

Sorry, the Cybergeography Research web pages are no longer being updated. The project ran from 1997-2004, but my research has moved away into other areas (see my blog for latest). If you have any questions or comments, please email me at: m.dodge (at) manchester.ac.uk. 

Cheers, Martin Dodge, February 2007.

(© Copyright - Martin Dodge, 2007)