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LS Marine Solution CEO Kim Byung-ok (left) and SK Broadband Network Center head Sung Jin-soo pose for a commemorative photo during a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony at SK Broadband's headquarters in Jung District, Seoul, on Oct. 27. / LS Marine Solution

LS Marine Solution is moving to expand its maintenance business by establishing an emergency repair system for international submarine telecommunications cables in cooperation with SK Broadband.

According to LS Marine Solution on Oct. 28, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to ensure the stable operation of the Southeast Asia-Japan Cable 2 (SJC2), an international submarine telecommunications network connecting seven Asian countries, including South Korea, Japan and Singapore.

SJC2 is a submarine telecommunications network spanning approximately 10,500 kilometers. LS Marine Solution participated in the installation and burial of the submarine cable in 2022.

Under the agreement, the two companies will establish an emergency repair system to respond quickly to cable failures in shallow waters off the coast of Busan, where vessel traffic is heavy and access by large cable-laying ships is difficult.

LS Marine Solution will be responsible for offshore repair operations, including cable recovery, splicing and burial, using its specialized vessels and installation technologies. SK Broadband will handle network monitoring, fault location analysis and the provision of repair materials.

The utilization of Segero, a vessel specializing in submarine telecommunications cables, is also expected to increase. LS Marine Solution currently deploys Segero for approximately six months each year on maintenance projects in the Yokohama Zone of the Asia-Pacific region. Through the agreement, the company plans to expand the vessel's operations during the remaining months to improve operational efficiency and create new revenue opportunities.

LS Marine Solution has accumulated approximately 30 years of experience in the installation and maintenance of international submarine telecommunications cables. Recently, it has also been expanding its global submarine telecommunications infrastructure business, including winning the JAKO submarine cable project connecting South Korea and Japan alongside LS Cable & System. Microsoft (MS) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are among the participants in the project.

"Rapid restoration of submarine telecommunications networks in the event of a failure is directly linked to the reliability of telecommunications services," an LS Marine Solution official said. "As a leading submarine cable company in Asia, we will continue to secure business opportunities in the submarine telecommunications infrastructure market."

                                                                                                          Son Kang-hoon