ORANGE MARINE
“ It is the same type of skill that would have been used more than a century before . It ' s not only software or artificial intelligence that holds the key to sustainability . You need to have real people ”
DIDIER DILLARD CEO , ORANGE MARINE have become the fabric of our lives and , consequently , millions of miles of travelling have been taken out of the equation . The crisis has actually demonstrated what is possible by using remote technology .
“ Most of the video meetings that have taken place globally have used submarine cable ,” says Didier . “ It enabled the world to continue to work , even if people stayed at home without commuting . By maintaining communications between continents ; between countries and between islands , I think that we ' ve become a pivotal part of the solution .”
In the past 18 months it has become obvious that submarine cables are a critical asset for all countries and the entire world . Even small islands now receive their connectivity through submarine cables . A prime example is Saint Helena – in the middle of the Atlantic – which has been connected by Orange Marine in the last couple of months .
There are several notable tech companies that also know the vital importance of submarine cables , especially when it comes to economics and rapid responses . “ Our industry has had huge investment from Google , Amazon and Facebook . It ' s interesting to hold discussions with these companies because they keep telling us that
they will require many more cables in the future ,” says Didier .
“ When you add up these big players with the wider needs of the global community and the all-encompassing appetite for telecommunications , our industry ’ s future is in good health .”
In many ways , Orange Marine has enabled the future to be brought forward , but it couldn ’ t have come to fruition without the craftsmanship and toil of human beings on the high seas . And in a world of digitisation it is satisfying to know that humanity is still taking centre stage .
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