THE SIZE OF the Company’s international submarine cable network has reflected its rapid growth and consistent presence in over a century of international communications.
1872 – On the formation of the Eastern Telegraph Company its ocean assets were approximately 8,860 miles of submarine cable.
1887 – The Company owned 22,000 miles of submarine cable.
1929 – On the formation of Imperial and International Communications (to become Cable & Wireless in 1934) the company owned 164,400 nautical miles of submarine cable.
1950 – Following “nationalisation” the Company owned 155,000 nautical miles (186,000 statute miles) of submarine cable linking the Commonwealth and countries in which the company held concessions.
1992 – C&W owned 25% of the world’s digital and analogue submarine cable systems including 28,000 km of digital cable – due to increase to 42,000 km by the end of the decade. 1 nautical mile = 1,852 metres (1.85 km) 1 mile = 1,609.344 metres (1.61 km)
