Background

This category includes domestic and international telecommunication cables and one or more landing stations.  The telecommunication cable industry is a rapidly evolving industry with many technical changes. Such projects:   

• Are technically complex
• Contain significant equipment and material which may need to be imported
• Have revenues come from a combination of leases, indefeasible rights of use (IRUs) and other sources.
• Have revenues which are difficult to forecast because demand increases rapidly and prices fall equally rapidly. The expected lives of such projects may be short to account for this uncertainty in the market,
• Are subject to ongoing investment for additional circuits at the landing/termination station(s)
• Have an ever present risk of sea damage to cables
• Include a deepwater cable which if located in international waters will be owned by a company incorporated in a tax haven
• Are subject to straightforward taxation calculations

Modelling Considerations

As demand increases, there comes a time when the operator needs to invest in additional circuits. It is not acceptable for the model to assume that revenues can go on increasing without such investment. To do this the model needs to contain a calculation of the required number of circuits for each period over the operating life of the project. The model should also assume that a sinking fund will be used to fund the additional investment when it is needed. 

How Promoter handles Submarine Cable Projects

Promoter handles international projects as follows:   

• full accounting statements for a new company in each country with a landfall/terminal
• Full accounting statements for the new company owning the deepwater cable
• The user places key coordinates so that Promoter can illustrate the network.

Typical Project Cash Flows

The revenues typically vary over the life of the project, the result of increasing demand offset by correspondingly decreasing prices.  The operating costs are minimal but there is an ongoing capital investment in additional circuits.  The diagram illustrates the above and the relatively short life assumed for analysis purposes.