Norddeutsche Seekabelwerke (NSW) was founded in 1899 in Cologne and specialised in submarine cable technology and communications. For over a century now, the company has been a pioneer in the area of submarine cable technology and communications. In 1904, NSW manufactured its first significant (7,993 km) submarine telecommunications cable, insulated using gutta-percha. Two NSW cable ships, the "von Podbielski" and the "Stephan von Borkum,” laid the cable to New York.

In 1931, Siemens acquired a 50% stake in the company. From 1932 to 1935, NSW developed insulating foils based on polystyrene and plastics extrusion technology, which initially focused exclusively on insulating cables. Following the founding of the POLY-NET®sector in 1959, NSW began the commercial manufacture of knotless plastic netting. It has been producing surface protection netting and spacer grids since 1970 in its own purpose-built POLY-NET® factory. From 1978 NSW also started working in environmental technology and power transmission and conveying technology.

Since the development of the first fibre-optic submarine cables in 1989, NSW has become one of the world’s leading companies in the area of repeaterless submarine cable technology. In February 2000, NSW was acquired by Corning, the world leader in fibre-optic technology. NSW joined the General Cable Corporation in April 2007. Following the General Cable acquisition in June 2018 NSW is now a member of the Prysmian Group.