Tampnet and Starboard expand fibre sensing capability to strengthen protection of critical infrastructure

Tampnet, the world’s largest offshore high‑capacity communications network operator, and Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the leader in real-time maritime domain awareness, today announced the world’s first operational integration of fibre-optic sensing into the AI-powered Starboard platform, moving fibre sensing from detection to real-time operational decision support for subsea cable protection.

For the first time, this new integration means operators will be able to monitor both Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and State of Polarization (SoP) signals together on a single operational map, enabling faster identification of potential cable threats and clearer distinction between contact and non-contact events. While DAS detects acoustic and vibrational activity near the cable, SoP adds sensitivity to direct fibre disturbances and contact events, improving confidence when assessing potential threats. 

By combining Tampnet’s fibre sensing infrastructure with Starboard’s real‑time maritime intelligence platform, operators will gain a more complete operational picture of subsea activity, supporting faster response times and more informed decision-making in protecting critical infrastructure. 

“This is an important step forward in how fibre sensing is operationalised,” said Trent Fulcher, CEO of Starboard Maritime Intelligence.

“By bringing SoP into the same interface as DAS, analysts can assess multiple sensing modalities together, directly in the context of maritime activity. It strengthens situational awareness while keeping the workflow simple and intuitive”.

Operational SoP and DAS live in the Platform

With the latest release now live in Tampnet’s testing environment, operators can:

• View DAS and SoP detections directly on the map, colour‑coded by signal strength
• Quickly distinguish cable contact events from non‑contact detections
• Correlate fibre sensing signals with AIS vessel traffic and inferred movement tracks
• Configure per‑site thresholds, display duration and sensitivity through administrator controls

Both sensing types are presented consistently, allowing analysts to interpret events without switching tools or interfaces. This supports a move from research‑driven fibre sensing towards day‑to‑day operational use.

“With fibre sensing already deployed across most of our subsea network, our goal is to make it operationally useful from day one,” said Anders Tysdal, Chief Infrastructure Officer of Tampnet.

“Integrating SoP into Starboard alongside DAS gives operators better tools to understand what is happening on and around their cables, enabling faster, more reliable decisions using infrastructure that already exists”.

Supporting Proactive Infrastructure Protection

Fibre‑optic sensing uses standard subsea communication cables as long, continuous sensors. DAS measures acoustic movement along the fibre, while SoP detects changes in the polarization state of light caused by physical disturbance. Together, they provide complementary views of activity near the cable, helping operators identify and prioritise events that may require attention.

The combined DAS and SoP capability supports a range of use cases, including:

• Early detection of potential cable interference
• Improved verification of physical contact events
• Enhanced situational awareness when vessels operate near critical subsea routes

About Tampnet

Tampnet provides high‑capacity, low‑latency connectivity to the global offshore energy industry. Operating the world’s largest offshore communications network, Tampnet enables digitalisation, efficiency and safer operations across offshore installations, vessels and mobile assets.

About Starboard Maritime Intelligence

Starboard Maritime Intelligence delivers actionable maritime domain awareness worldwide. Its AI-driven platform fuses multi-source data and behaviour analytics into a unified operational picture, helping governments, defence agencies, and infrastructure operators predict threats, prevent incidents, and strengthen maritime security and resilience across global waters.

Media contacts

‍Starboard Maritime Intelligence

Isabella Bartlett, Account Executive, Sling & Stone, Starboard@SlingStone.com

Tampnet

Renate Bakken, Marketing Coordinator, rba@tampnet.com

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