In Hawaiian, makai means “toward the ocean,” and that direction defines Makai Ocean Engineering’s vision. The innovative Hawaii-based technology and engineering firm develops advanced software used worldwide to plan, simulate and execute the installation of subsea cables.
Embedded in Makai’s suite of products — MakaiPlan, MakaiPlan Pro and MakaiLay — is Hexagon’s GeoMedia, which integrates multiple GIS layers into a single, dynamic visualization of the seabed environment. This integration allows engineers to make informed, data-driven decisions for cable routing and installation.
The backbone of global communication
Submarine fiber optic cables form the hidden foundation of global connectivity, silently transmitting terabits of data across oceans every second. Despite the rise of satellite communications, nearly all intercontinental internet traffic still travels through these undersea cables.
“There are currently around 1.4 million kilometers of active submarine cable laid in the ocean,” said Adrian Jelffs, software manager at Makai Ocean Engineering. “We estimate that MakaiLay has been used to install roughly 1 million kilometers of that.”
Jelffs added, “Undersea cables carry approximately 99% of all intercontinental telecoms data. These critical links enable global communication and commerce, yet most people never realize they exist.”
Security, redundancy and risk
Subsea cables face a range of physical and geopolitical challenges. The most common source of damage is accidental human activity — typically from fishing gear or ship anchors. Near shorelines, cables are often buried and reinforced with protective metal sheathing. In deeper waters, they are usually surface-laid, where they remain more exposed to potential hazards.
Beyond these environmental risks, cables also face increasing security concerns as global tensions heighten. Protecting these vital arteries of communication — through redundancy, careful routing and monitoring — is critical to maintaining reliable global connectivity.
The art and science of cable placement
Installing undersea cables is a precise and technically demanding process. To minimize the risk of faults, engineers must carefully control cable positioning and slack.
“Cables need the right amount of slack for the terrain,” Jelffs explained. “Too much tension can cause suspensions and potential breaks, while too much slack can lead to loops and ultimately kinks.”
Beyond mechanical stress, installation teams must navigate a maze of regulatory and environmental constraints. “There are many rules in place — where you can and cannot lay cable, how to cross existing infrastructure, how close you can get to other cables, and how to avoid steep or unstable terrain are just a few,” Jelffs said.
That’s where Makai’s software plays a pivotal role. “You load in all your GIS information and bathymetry (depth information), and a MakaiPlan engineer can plan and design the route. Then, MakaiLay is used onboard the installation vessel to ensure the cable is placed in the correct location, with the correct amount of slack,” Jelffs added.
This precision extends the typical subsea cable lifespan — usually by 15 to 20 years.
Route design with geospatial intelligence
MakaiPlan integrates GIS datasets and can help engineers visualize seabed profiles, predict mechanical stress points and adjust slack profiles accordingly. The software’s tension modeling capabilities help prevent suspended spans that could cause fatigue over time.
Slack management is particularly critical. Too little slack can lead to suspensions and stress; too much can cause loops and eventually kinks — potentially resulting in permanent cable failure.
At the core of this functionality is Hexagon’s GeoMedia, which serves as the GIS platform for submarine cable planning.
GeoMedia’s open architecture and flexible file handling enable MakaiPlan to access diverse geospatial databases. Engineers can import different data layers including bathymetry, shorelines, soil composition, existing cables, navigational charts and protected marine areas.
These datasets can be toggled, reordered, or adjusted for transparency within a unified plan view — delivering clear, high-value visual context.
Key tools include click and drag route creation, coordinate-based inputs, route position list and kilometer-point (KP) calculations. The software also produces bottom profiles, depth charts and slope diagrams for technical reporting.
MakaiPlan Pro extends these capabilities with 3D dynamic installation simulations, supporting operator training, pre-installation validation and post-installation analysis. This ensures optimized cable placement and reduces operational risk.
Real-time modeling for deepwater deployment
Once a route is finalized, the operation moves to sea. Modern cable-laying vessels — some capable of storing thousands of kilometers of cable — deploy fiber across depths exceeding 5,000 meters.
Here, physics and timing become complex. “When deploying at great depths, the vessel might be 20 to 30 kilometers ahead of the point where the cable actually lands on the seabed due to the cable being very lightweight,” said Jelffs. “As the ship moves, there can be a delay of hours before the touchdown position responds.”
MakaiLay uses an advanced mathematical model to calculate the precise touchdown point in real time, allowing operators to adjust vessel speed and position dynamically. “The system calculates how the cable will behave as it descends through the water column, so you can plan exactly where to position the ship and how much cable to pay out,” Jelffs explained.
“For example, when moving upslope, you usually pay out less cable to prevent loops. MakaiLay can look ahead into the future using the mathematical model to design the correct course and payout speeds for the ship and cable engine to follow.”
Makai Ocean Engineering’s software is used on a staggering 90% of all telecom cable laying vessels around the world.
Hexagon is proud to have a part in powering this impressive process.
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Bruce Chaplin has deep experience across the geospatial value chain, from data acquisition, analysis and visualization, web mapping, location intelligence and real-time situational awareness. With Hexagon for more than 20 years, he’s held senior leadership roles in product development, product management, professional services, sales and business development. Bruce is currently vice-president & general manager – geospatial for Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division.
