Submarine Cable Repair Capacities - Works

Expected Impact: The expected benefits of the supported project: Provide quick response to emergency situations identified by the relevant Regional Cable Hub or other entity declaring the emergency situation (Key Performance Indicator). Provide quick average estimated time-to-repair for cable systems in the targeted EU sea basins with at least one landing point in an EU territory (Key Performance Indicator). Increase operational repair capacity in the main European sea basins (Key Performance Indicator). Strengthen the resilience of cable systems in the main European sea basins. Ensure digital sovereignty and strategic autonomy of the EU in the main European sea basins. Objective: This call aims to enhance emergency response capacities and the resilience of backbone networks’ infrastructures by supporting the development and deployment of adaptable repair modules for swift emergency repair operations, enabling quick response to incidents that could severely impact the Union or its Member States. The goal of the EU is to fund modules covering the main sea basins of the Union, the objective being to develop adaptable repair modules that can be deployed on existing vessels, as well as the necessary related operational capabilities. The modules are expected to be rapidly operational in order to re-establish the service of submarine cables (through repair or substitution) in emergency situations, i.e. where the cut or the failure of the cable can cause a severe damage to one or more Member States, and the service disruption cannot be fixed timely by commercial services. Applicants will have to work in coordination with the authorities declaring the emergency situation, which are expected to be the future Regional Cable Hubs4. The modules would be hosted in ports or shipyards with the capacity to install them on board of ships within a maximum of 3 days from the arrival of the vessel at the port/shipyard, following a request by the Regional Surveillance Hub envisaged in the Action Plan on Cable Security . Scope: This call funds modular equipment for the repair of telecom submarine cables, and targets public entities with an emergency response mandate such as entities active in the civil protection, national emergency response agencies, coastguards and military navies. Each Member State will confirm the nature of the applicant in the mandatory Letter of Support. Beneficiaries can subcontract the activities covered by this call for proposals as well as the operation of the modules for repair intervention to third parties, including publicly or privately owned en…