The project explores how existing subsea cables could double as a global distributed sensing network for earthquakes and tsunamis.
With over five billion kilometres of optical fibre already deployed worldwide—much of it in regions beyond the reach of traditional sensors—researchers see an opportunity to create large-scale sensing capabilities without requiring new infrastructure deployment.
Backed by €4 million in EU funding, the ECSTATIC consortium consists of 14 academic and industrial partners working to develop interferometry and polarisation-based methodologies that could improve vibration and acoustic sensing through fibre-optic cables.
The group’s approach aims to enhance sensitivity, detection range, and location accuracy while incorporating advanced data processing and AI and machine learning for real-time event monitoring.
Testing is currently underway using the Tyrrhenian segment of Sparkle's BlueMed subsea cable system between Genoa and Palermo, with data being stored at Sparkle's Network Operation Centre in Catania.
The trials will evaluate the technology's potential for seismic early warning systems, predictive maintenance, and network integrity monitoring.
“Our involvement in the ECSTATIC project is a clear example of Sparkle’s vision to push the boundaries of what digital networks can achieve,” commented Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle. “By using our existing global fibre infrastructure, we demonstrate how the telecommunication industry can play a critical role in seismic monitoring and network protection.”
Sparkle's participation builds on earlier experiments with the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), with the pair agreeing last December to study if its subsea fibre optic cables can help detect seismic events.
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