The document discusses the potential for "open cables" in submarine systems that can connect to equipment from different vendors in a vendor-independent manner. It proposes a model where an "open cable gateway" would provide line monitoring, power management, and spectrum management to enable interoperability. ADVA believes partnerships between cable providers and equipment vendors will be important to achieve open cable systems and ensure performance while distributing responsibilities appropriately. Testing will be needed to establish detailed interface parameters and validate interoperability of diverse terminal equipment with submarine cables.