Flexible and water-resistant Ethernet Cable — TIA/EIA-568B compliant underwater Ethernet cable rated to 7,000 m depth. Gigabit 1000BASE-T performance. Flexible PUR jacket, full waterblock core. Ideal for ROV, AUV, offshore data networks, and subsea instrumentation.
This Flexible and water-resistant Ethernet Cable delivers reliable high-speed network connectivity in underwater environments where standard Cat5e/Cat6 cables fail under pressure. Validated to withstand hydrostatic pressures exceeding 10,000 psi (equivalent to 7,000 m ocean depth), this cable maintains electrical parameters within <2% of TIA/EIA-568B standard values at rated depth — ensuring 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet, 270 Mbps digital video, and 1 Gbps Gigabit Ethernet signal integrity at any working depth.
Applications range from shallow-water ROV systems and harbour surveillance networks to deep-ocean scientific installations and offshore platform instrumentation networks. The cable's flexible polyurethane jacket survives repeated drum cycles, abrasive seafloor contact, and continuous seawater immersion over multi-year deployments.
| Parameter | Shallow (500 m) | Deep (7,000 m) |
|---|---|---|
| Data Standard | TIA/EIA-568B Cat5e | TIA/EIA-568B Cat5e / Cat6 / Cat6A |
| Data Rate | 100 Mbps / 1 Gbps | 100 Mbps / 270 Mbps video / 1 Gbps |
| Pressure Test | 500 m (750 psi) | >10,000 psi validated |
| Parameter Drift | <2% at rated depth | <2% at rated depth |
| Voltage (power cores) | 300V–600V | 600V–1,000V |
| Temperature | -25°C to +90°C | -25°C to +90°C |
| Jacket | PUR 90°C | Xtreme-grade PUR 90°C |
| Strength (with Kevlar) | 1,200 lbs (K12) | 1,200 lbs (K12); custom to 50,000 lbs |
| OD range | 8–14 mm | 9–18 mm |
| Shield option | None / Al-mylar+braid | None / Al-mylar+braid |
At 500 m depth, hydrostatic pressure of 750 psi physically compresses cable cores, distorting twisted pair geometry and increasing near-end crosstalk (NEXT). Our elastomeric waterblock fills every air gap, creating a pressure-equalised core that maintains pair twist pitch and impedance under full load. Generic IP68-rated Ethernet cables are tested to 1–2 m depth only and fail catastrophically above 50 m.
Standard "submersible" Cat5e cables use conventional LSZH jackets that become rigid and crack under sustained deep-water pressure. Our deep-water Ethernet cable (7,000 m rated) uses a proprietary Xtreme-grade PUR formulation that remains flexible at 2–4°C seafloor temperatures and elastic under compression, protecting the data core throughout the cable's service life.
Combining power and data in a single cable reduces drag on ROV tethers, simplifies subsea connector configurations, and lowers total system cost. Our hybrid designs carry 14–22 AWG power conductors (300V–1,000V) alongside the 4-pair data core without crosstalk interference between high-current and signal sections.
Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) is adequate for standard definition video and basic telemetry. Modern ROV and subsea camera systems increasingly require Gigabit bandwidth for compressed 4K video streams, multi-sensor fusion, and real-time AI processing. Our Cat6 deep-water cables deliver full 1,000 Mbps throughput at 7,000 m depth, future-proofing subsea data infrastructure.
Each production run is verified against TIA/EIA-568B Category parameters at rated pressure in a hyperbaric test vessel — not just at atmospheric pressure. Test reports are available on request, providing documented proof of performance for offshore operator qualification processes.
| Model Type | Data Pairs | Power Cores | Cat | Max Depth | OD (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data only (shallow) | 4 pr 24AWG | None | Cat5e | 500 m | 8.3 |
| Data only (shallow +K12) | 4 pr 24AWG | None | Cat5e | 500 m | 8.6 |
| Data + power (deep) | 2 pr 24AWG | 2×14AWG | Cat5e | 7,000 m | 10.7 |
| Data + power (deep) | 2 pr 24AWG | 2×18AWG | Cat5e | 7,000 m | 9.4 |
| Gigabit data only (deep) | 4 pr 24AWG | None | Cat5e/6 | 7,000 m | 11.2 |
| Gigabit Cat6 + power | 4 pr 23AWG | 4×18AWG | Cat6 | 7,000 m | 12.7 |
| Gigabit Cat6 + 10 ctrl | 4 pr 23AWG | 10×20AWG | Cat6 | 7,000 m | 15.6 |
| 24-pair + 3-core hybrid | 24 pr signal | 3×power | — | 7,000 m | Custom |
For dynamic flex applications (ROV tether drums), maintain a minimum bend radius of 10× OD. Static installations should not exceed 6× OD at any fixed point. Undersized drum diameters are the primary cause of data pair deformation and Ethernet performance degradation in subsea cable systems.
The PUR jacket bonds directly to moulded underwater connector boots — ensuring a seamless water barrier at the most failure-prone point of any subsea cable system. For field connectorisation, strip the jacket to the minimum length required, seal all individual pair interstices with elastomeric sealant before overmolding, and pressure-test the completed assembly to 1.5× deployment pressure before deployment.
PUR-jacketed subsea Ethernet cables require no maintenance during continuous immersion. Annual inspection should check for jacket damage at hang-off clamps, at mid-line buoyancy devices, and at connector entry points where bend stress concentrates. Replace any section showing surface cracking, pinching, or ovality before the next deep deployment.
Specify depth rating, data standard (Cat5e/Cat6/Cat6A), power conductor requirements, strength member load, and OD constraints — we will configure the exact cable your subsea system needs.
Fast quotation | Custom lengths | Hyperbaric pressure test reports available
