International Cable Protection Committee

LYMINGTON, United Kingdom—After a thorough selection process from candidates within the global and wide-ranging submarine telecommunications and power cable industries, the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), the world’s leading submarine cable protection organisation, announces the appointment of its new General Manager (GM), Mr Ryan Wopschall.

Active in the ICPC as a member-company representative and speaker since 2010, Mr Wopschall brings to the organisation deep knowledge and experience regarding protection of submarine cables, which provide more than 97 percent of the world’s Internet, data, and voice connectivity. With 14 years of experience in marine survey, cable route engineering, and project implementation, he has worked on numerous projects in over 20 countries. Mr Wopschall has presented many times at prominent industry conferences and holds a B.Sc. in Engineering Geology, plus a post-graduate certificate in Business Development and Management. He replaces Mr Keith Schofield who stepped down from the role on 1st July.

Commenting on his new appointment Mr Wopschall stated, ‘I am very excited to have been selected by the ICPC as the new GM and look forward to working with the Executive Committee (EC) and its Members and advisors. We are in evolving times and that gives the ICPC the challenge and opportunity to evolve as well. I look forward to listening to the valuable guidance of the Members as well as providing leadership and growth to this global organisation.’

In his role, Mr Wopschall will work closely with the EC, its legal and environmental advisors as well as lead the Secretariat team ensuring the ICPC’s goals and initiatives are carried out while maintaining the vision of the organisation and promoting the importance of safeguarding submarine cables worldwide.

ICPC Chair Malcolm Eccles, welcomed Mr Wopschall stating, ‘On behalf of the organisation, we are very pleased to have Ryan on board. Having been involved in previous ICPC initiatives and outreach in the past, plus a vast background in the submarine cable industry, he is a great asset to the ICPC and its membership.’

LYMINGTON, United Kingdom and CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia—Each year, the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) and the Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy (Rhodes Academy) sponsor the Rhodes Academy-ICPC Submarine Cables Writing Award for a deserving paper addressing submarine cables and their relationship with the law of the sea. Applicants to, and graduates of, the Rhodes Academy are eligible to compete for the award. With the award, the ICPC and the Rhodes Academy seek to foster scholarship regarding submarine cables (the infrastructure of the Internet) and the law of the sea and promote the rule of law as applied to submarine cables. The referees of the 2020 competition chose Yang Wenlan of China as the winner for his paper, ‘Protecting Submarine Cables from Physical Damage under Investment Law.’

About Rhodes Academy. Each year, the Rhodes Academy brings together approximately 50 mid-career professionals from around the world to study and learn from leading ocean law and science scholars, judges, and practitioners about the law of the sea and its key legal instrument, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It is organised by a consortium of research universities and institutes, led by the Center for Oceans Law and Policy at the University of Virginia (COLP). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rhodes Academy’s twenty-fifth session in 2020 was cancelled, but the ICPC and Rhodes Academy decided to proceed with the writing competition, with the organisational assistance of the Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore. For more information about the Rhodes Academy and the writing competition, visit: https://colp.virginia.edu/Rhodesacademy.

The Award. Each year, the winner will receive either guaranteed admission and a full scholarship (covering the attendance fee, travel expenses, and shared hotel room) to the Rhodes Academy, or for a Rhodes Academy graduate from a prior year, a cash award of £4,500. The winner will receive assistance from the Rhodes Academy in seeking publication of the winning paper and will also be invited to speak at the next ICPC Plenary meeting. The papers of all past winners have been published in peer-reviewed journals.

About the ICPC. The ICPC is the world’s premier submarine cable protection organisation. It was formed in 1958 to promote the protection of international submarine cables against human and natural hazards. It provides a forum for the exchange of technical, legal, and environmental information about submarine cables and engages with stakeholders and governments globally to promote submarine cable protection. The ICPC has 170 Members from over 60 nations, including cable operators, owners, manufacturers, industry service providers, as well as governments.

The International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) calls on governments and industry to facilitate and expedite the deployment, operation, and repair of submarine fibre optic cables during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to protect increasingly important broadband Internet connectivity and the governance, health, education, and commerce activities that depend on such connectivity.

Read full statement below.