In Hawaiian, makai means “toward the ocean,” and that direction defines Makai Ocean Engineering’s vision. The innovative Hawaii-based technology and engineering firm develops advanced software used worldwide to plan, simulate and execute the installation of subsea cables.
Submarine fiber optic cables form the foundation of global connectivity, transmitting terabits of data across oceans every second. Undersea cables carry approximately 99% of all intercontinental telecoms data. Placing these cables is critical — and meticulous — work. To minimize the risk of faults, engineers must carefully control cable positioning and slack. Beyond mechanical stress, installation teams must navigate a maze of regulatory and environmental constraints.
Too much tension can cause suspensions and potential breaks, while too much slack can lead to loops and ultimately kinks. MakaiPlan, which is built with Octave GeoMedia, helps prevent this.
Too much tension can cause suspensions and potential breaks, while too much slack can lead to loops and ultimately kinks. MakaiPlan, which is built with Octave GeoMedia, helps prevent this.
Makai’s software is used on a staggering 90% of all telecom cable-laying vessels around the world. Embedded in its suite of products is Octave GeoMedia, which integrates multiple GIS layers into a single, dynamic visualization of the seabed environment. This allows engineers to make informed, data-driven decisions for cable routing and installation.
There are currently around 1.4 million kilometers of active submarine cable in the ocean, and Makai estimates its software has been used to install roughly 1 million kilometers of that. It helps engineers visualize seabed profiles, predict mechanical stress points and adjust slack profiles accordingly. It also provides real-time modeling for deepwater deployment, exceeding 5,000 meters, with the software calculating exactly how the cable will behave as it descends through the water to the ocean floor.
