Fibre-optic cables built to operate underwater face different environmental requirements from cables trailing behind aerial drones over land. Salt-water protection and insulation make the marine cable heavier and more expensive. The discussion also connects cable size with the power of the transmitters at both ends. Those requirements increase the cost of providing the same 30-kilometre control link and weaken simple comparisons with cheap land systems.
Notable Point · 2:30:32-2:31:29
Why underwater fibre-optic control costs more
Marine protection makes a disposable land-drone cable a poor cost model for underwater control.