Submarine Fiber Optic Cable Repair Work (updated 28.02. at 10.25)

The location of the cable damage is 130km from the LVRTC facilities in Ventspils. The cable damage is 100m underwater.

28.02.2025. 10.25

Early this morning, LVRTC engineers and the crew of the submarine fiber optic cable repair vessel have completed the connection of the submarine fiber optic cable, the operation of the cable, the operation of the equipment and connections in Ventspils and Gotland have been tested, and the service to LVRTC customers has now been fully restored. A new, several hundred meter long cable section has been inserted between the damaged sections, connected with sleeves. The connection work lasted more than 30 hours, as not only the optical fibers had to be connected, but also all the layers of the cable, ensuring hermeticity, as well as the fact that the protective layers continue to provide various levels of protection against physical damage. The work is currently still ongoing, as the cable needs to be lowered to the seabed. Currently, weather conditions are favorable for work and it is expected that the work will be fully completed today. LVRTC is pleased that, taking into account the difficult ground conditions, as well as the fact that it was necessary to create completely new equipment to carry out this work, it was possible to repair the damage and restore service to customers within a month. “It should be emphasized that the cable damage has been a good practice for ensuring business continuity, which has clearly highlighted to LVRTC and the company’s customers how important it is to ensure their reservation and readiness for various crisis situations when planning communication infrastructure, as well as data transmission paths. During the cable damage, end users did not experience any communication interruptions, and this has been possible thanks to the thoughtful actions and preventive actions of LVRTC and electronic communications operators. We will continue to develop and strengthen these competencies in the future,” emphasizes Ģirts Ozols, Chairman of the Board of LVRTC.

27.02.2025 11.05

LVRTC engineers and the crew of the sea fiber optic cable repair vessel managed to raise the damaged end of the cable from the seabed towards Ventspils on Wednesday evening. During the night, it was processed, the damaged part was removed, and it was checked whether this was the only damage in the direction towards Ventspils. Tonight, the end of the cable towards Gotland, which was prepared for repair last week, was also raised from the seabed again. It will be connected to the new cable section with the help of a sleeve. When connecting the cables, the optical fibers are welded in a special way to ensure their flawless operation. Taking into account the technical specifications of the cable, welding is a delicate and time-consuming process, as not only the optical fibers must be connected, but also all the layers of the cable, ensuring hermeticity, as well as the fact that the protective layers continue to provide various levels of protection against physical damage. It is currently unknown whether there will be enough time to fully connect the cables, as weather conditions are forecast to be suitable for deep-sea work only on Thursday. Today, another LVRTC engineering team will also travel to Gotland to conduct network and equipment performance tests there after the cable is connected.

26.02.2025. 15.50

LVRTC engineers and the ship hired to repair the submarine fiber optic cable with a crew have arrived at the site of the cable damage. Due to weather conditions, work at sea could only begin this afternoon. The team’s current task is to raise the other damaged end of the cable. As previously reported, last week they managed to raise and inspect the cable in the section to Gotland. Due to unsuitable weather conditions, the work had to be stopped, the cable was encapsulated and lowered to the seabed. The ship’s crew, using equipment specially adapted and built for this damage site, must raise the other end of the cable from the seabed in the direction of Ventspils, remove the damaged part of the cable, measure the cable, replace the damaged section with a new fiber optic cable and connect the two cable sections with special couplings. As we informed earlier, the planned work will require at least two days. The weather forecast promises suitable weather conditions for deep-sea work on Wednesday and Thursday.

24.02.2025. 13.35

Tomorrow (25.02.2025.)  LVRTC engineers and ship crew will go to sea to continue the repair work of the submarine fiber optic cable that began last week. The weather conditions of the sea both today and tomorrow do not yet allow for the work to be carried out, but the forecast indicates that the work will be able to resume on Wednesday, so the team is heading to the damage site to start the work as soon as possible.

As we informed earlier, the planned work requires at least two days and currently the weather forecast promises weather conditions suitable for deep-sea work on Wednesday and Thursday.

21.02.2025. 16.00

Weather conditions in the Baltic Sea are unfavorable for deep-sea work, so it is not possible to continue the repair of the submarine fiber optic cable. Since the planned work requires at least two days of continuous work, the LVRTC and the ship’s crew are currently analyzing both the current conditions at sea and the weather forecast for the coming days. Currently available information indicates that the nearest possible time for the work is the middle of next week. If the weather conditions improve and the forecast allows for planning work for at least two days, the ship will immediately set sail.

20.02.2025. 6.55

The crew of a ship carrying out repairs to a submarine fiber optic cable, using previously prepared technical equipment specially designed and adapted for this location, has managed to raise one end of the cable from the seabed tonight. After raising the cable, its damaged part has been separated, the cable end has been processed and prepared for repair. The section in which the ship’s crew worked is the direction from Gotland to Ventspils. Along with the processing of the cable, measurements of the cable have also been taken to ensure that this is the only damaged area in the section from the damage site to Gotland. The measurement results are positive. At the same time, we would like to inform you that the weather conditions at sea have deteriorated rapidly tonight and further work is currently no longer possible. Taking into account the weather forecast, specialists have encapsulated the raised end, prepared it for repeated raising and lowered it back to the seabed. The ship and crew have now begun their journey to port, where they will wait for weather conditions to improve.

We would like to inform you that the ship that will carry out the repair of the submarine fiber optic cable has reached the cable damage site in the Baltic Sea tonight and has carried out the necessary preparatory work to be able to start lifting the cable. The work has already started, however, it may still be affected by weather conditions. Currently, the weather conditions at sea allow for the work to be carried out, but the forecasts for the coming days are not good.

18.02.2025. 10.55

The ship, which will carry out repairs to the submarine fiber optic cable, has set off for the damage site. It is expected to arrive tomorrow – February 19, early in the morning. Currently, the weather conditions at sea are favorable for deep-sea work, so the ship’s crew plans to begin lifting the cable immediately upon arrival at the damage site, which is approximately 130km from Ventspils and 30km from Gotland.

17.02.2025. 16.20

We would like to inform you that last weekend the weather conditions in the Baltic Sea were not favorable for deep-sea operations. The ship’s crew and LVRTC are monitoring the current weather forecast and it is currently expected that the ship will be able to go to sea only tomorrow – February 18th.

14.02.2025. 12.00

LVRTC, in cooperation with the crew of the ship that will carry out the repair of the submarine cable, has carried out all necessary preparatory work to prepare equipment adapted to the damage site, with which specialists will continue to raise the cable from the seabed. Currently, weather conditions at sea prevent the ship from carrying out deep-sea work as planned. LVRTC and the ship’s crew are monitoring the weather forecast and will proceed to sea until conditions are suitable for the work.

12.02.2025. 14.00

Repair work on the fiber optic cable is scheduled to resume this weekend. So far, LVRTC, in consultation with various experts, has provided the technical equipment necessary for the repair, which is currently being adapted to the specific ground conditions at the site of the damage.

06.02.2025. 11.20

LVRTC, in consultation with industry experts, including foreign experts, continues to identify the equipment and facilities necessary for the repair of the submarine fiber optic cable, as well as their availability for LVRTC’s needs. As we previously reported, on February 3, during the work that lasted more than 24 hours, the cable was not pulled out, however, an idea of ​​the ground conditions at the site of the damage, as well as the type of damage, has been obtained.

04.02.2025. 19.50

After more than 24 hours of continuous work, the repair ship has been unable to retrieve the submarine optical fiber cable from the seabed. On Tuesday evening, the vessel halted operations and returned to port.

According to engineers, there could be various reasons why the cable has not yet been recovered, including the nature of the damage, complex seabed conditions, and unexpected obstacles in the ground. More detailed conclusions will be available after a thorough analysis currently being conducted by experts. However, LVRTC emphasizes that any of the aforementioned reasons are, at this point, only assumptions. The work to retrieve and repair the cable will continue.

03.02.2025. 9.00

The ship and crew that will carry out the repair of the LVRTC submarine fiber optic cable are already on their way to the cable damage site in the Baltic Sea, which is approximately 40km from Gotland and 130km from Ventspils.

02.02.2025. 17.00
LVRTC engineers are already heading to the ship hired to repair the damage to the LVRTC submarine fiber optic cable tonight. We expect that the ship will go to the damage site on Monday to begin cable repair work.
Another LVRTC engineering team will also head to Gotland tomorrow to provide technical support and perform regular measurements with the LVRTC facilities to which the submarine cable is connected in Gotland.
At the same time, we would like to remind you that the possibility and progress of repair work may be affected by weather conditions at sea. At the moment, they are favorable for the work, but taking into account the specifics of meteorological conditions in the Baltic Sea determined by the time of year, the situation may change and the repair work may have to be postponed, while the ship waits in the nearest port.

01.02.2025 10.00
LVRTC has submitted a request to the responsible Latvian and foreign institutions for permission to start repair work on the damaged cable. The materials needed for the repair have already been loaded onto the ship that will carry out the repair work. The ship and the technical staff will start the repair work as soon as the permits are received and there are suitable weather conditions in the Baltic Sea. We expect that this could happen as early as next week.

31.01.2025. 9.07
The LVRTC has managed to reach an agreement to start repair work with a company that will carry out the repair of the damaged marine fiber optic cable. It will be possible to start the works as soon as the interests of the investigation allow it, as well as taking into account the weather conditions in the Baltic Sea.
The LVRTC has now completed most of the preparatory work that needs to be done before the cable repair work can begin. Measurements of the cable’s operation in both its directions have been carried out, as well as the operation of the equipment located in Gotland has been checked. LVRTC has procured the necessary materials for the cable repair, engineers have checked their quality and compliance, and the materials have also been delivered to the port from where the repair ship will start the work.

29.01.2025. 12.35
We would like to inform you that this morning the materials needed for the repair of the cable have been delivered to the port, where they will be loaded onto the ship that will carry out the repair work. LVRTC engineers have gone to Gotland to measure the cable and check the equipment on the Gotland side.
The cable repair works will be started until the vessel required for the work is available and the weather conditions and the interests of the investigation will allow it.
Currently, the investigation is underway to understand the exact nature of the damage, material losses and other circumstances of the possible crime.

28.01.2025. 16.40
We would like to inform, that the LVRTC engineers, who have been in Sweden since yesterday, have already inspected and evaluated the raw materials necessary for the repair, recognising them as suitable for the repair of the LVRTC underwater optical fibre cable. Already tonight, the transportation of materials to the port will begin, where they will be loaded onto a ship that will carry out the repair work. At the moment, we still cannot say the date when the repair works will start, but we assure you that we are doing everything to make it happen as soon as possible.

28.01.2025 7.03
In connection with the damage to the LVRTC underwater optical fiber cable, the LVRTC data transmission engineering team went to Sweden late on Monday evening to verify the suitability of the materials used in the repair and to make preparations so that the cable can be restored as soon as possible. At the same time, the LVRTC continues negotiations with the company that will carry out the repair works and the exact start of repair works is currently still unknown.