They are wiring the world to meet the explosive and seemingly limitless demand for Internet,voice and video services,projected to be a $1 trillion-a-year global market by 2000.The two ships,C.S.Global Link and its companion the C.S.Global Mariner,are among the most technologically advanced vessels in the business of laying undersea fiber-optic communications cables.They are part of a worldwide fleet,owned by Tyco International Ltd.,that has installed more transoceanic fiber than any other company. 2 Most of the world's telephone and Internet traffic courses through these hair-thin capillaries of glass,which stretch from one continent to another along the ocean floor.In constant pulses of light,coded in the computer language of ones and zeros,they flash millions of phone calls,electronic mail messages,video clips and World Wide Web pages at light speed. 3 Undersea fiber-optic cables have become one of the most crucial components of today's communications-based global economy,despite mid-1960s predictions that satellites would make earthbound long-distance communications obsolete. 4 "Most people really do not realize the amount of telephone cables that are undersea, and that their calls actually go through them,"said Rob Jones,captain of the C.S.Global Link.There are 228,958 miles (368,472 kilometers)of fiber-optic cable on the floors of the world's sea,enough to encircle Earth almost 10 times,according to KMI Corp.of Rhode Island.Another 177,717 miles of cable are planned for installation worldwide by 2000,KMI estimates. 5 That figure does not count the most ambitious program,Project Oxygen,which backers describe as a $14 billion "Super Internet"that would pay out 198,844 miles of mainly undersea fiber-optic cable touching 175 countries.Oxygen already has the backing of 30 international tele-communications providers and is scheduled for completion in 2003. Project Oxygen is"the most ambitious project of communications in the 20th century,said President John Kestrel of KMI.The internet is a major driver of the expansion.The second driver is the need for video transmissions. 6 Global deregulation of telecommunications markets is also playing a key role in the subsea fiber boom.Phone companies around the world are rapidly going private and governments are opening their markets to competition.Chinese officials,for example, cleverly played 14 competitors off each other in bids to build the first link between China and 546They are wìrìng the world to meet the explosìve and seemìngly lìmitless demand for Internet , voìce and vìdeo servìces, projected to be a $ 1 trìllìon-a-year global market by 2000. The two shìps, C. S. Global Lìnk and its companion the C. S. Global Mariner, are among the most technologically advanced vessels in the business of layìng undersea fiber-optìc communications cables. They are part of a worldwide fleet , owned by Tyco Internatìonal Ltd. , that has installed more transoceanic fìber than any other company. 2 Most of the world' s telephone and Internet traffic courses through these haìr-thìn capillaries of glass, which stretch from one continent to another along the ocean floor. In constant pulses of light , coded in the computer language of ones and zeros, they flash millions of phone calls, electronic mail messages, video clips and World Wide Web pages at light speed. 3 Undersea fiber-optic cables have become one of the most crucial components of today' s communìcations-based global economy , despite mìd-1960s predictions that satellites would make earthbound long-distance communications obsolete. 4 "Most people really do not realize the amount of telephone cables that are undersea , and that their calls actually go through them," said Rob ] ones, captain of the C. S. Global Link. There are 228 , 958 miles (368 , 472 kilometers) of fiber-optìc cable on the floors of the world's sea , enough to encircle Earth almost 10 times, according to KMI Corp. of Rhode Island. Another 177 , 717 mìles of cable are planned for installatìon worldwide by 2000 , KMI estl lates. 5 That figure does not count the most ambitious program , Project Oxygen , which backers describe as a $ 11 billion "Super Internet" that would pay out 198 , 841 miles of mainly undersea fiber-optic cable touching 175 countries. Oxygen already has the backing of 30 international tele-communications providers and is scheduled for completion in 2003. Project Oxygen is "the most ambitious project of communications in the 20th century ," said President ] ohn Kestrel of KMl. The internet is a major driver of the expansion. The second driver is the need for video transmissions. 6 Global deregulation of telecommunications markets is also playing a key role in th subsea fiber boom. Phone companies around the world are rapidly going private and governments are openìng their markets to competitìon. Chinese officials , for example , cleverly played 14 competitors off each other in bids to build the first link between China and 546