Laying the Foundations
Long before mobile phones and internet became ubiquitous, companies were laying the foundations of digital connectivity under the seas. The first submarine telegraph cable was laid across the English Channel in 1850 and connected Britain and France. This marked the beginning of an era where companies would fan out across oceans to link countries and continents through underwater cables. By the late 19th century, a grid of cables spread across oceans, revolutionizing communications.
The Modern Cable Infrastructure
Today's Submarine Cables infrastructure is vastly more advanced. Multiple consortiums of telecom companies and tech giants maintain a network of over 1.3 million kilometers of fiber optic cables laid on the seafloor. These high-speed cables carry 99% of international voice and data traffic. The most recent cables can carry data at speeds exceeding 200 terabits per second through multiple fiber pairs, sufficient capacity to download the entire digitized Library of Congress in under 30 seconds.
Fiber Pair Capacity and Durability
Modern submarine cables deploy glass fibers no thicker than a human hair, bundled in copyright pipelines for protection. A single cable may contain up to 16 fiber pairs to carry data traffic in both directions through dense wavelength division multiplexing technology. Fiber pairs are protected by hydraulic and submarine controls to maintain cable integrity in dynamic ocean environments facing impacts, abrasion and pressure shifts. Steep gradients, rocky areas and shipping lanes are precisely mapped before installation at depths down to 11 kilometers below sea level.
Infrastructure Owner-Operators
A few consortiums control and maintain the submarine cable infrastructure. These include Telxius, formerly owned by Telefonica, which manages a network extending across 60,000 kilometers. Another major player is Aqua Comms, with cables spanning over 33,000 kilometers in the North Atlantic. However, the largest owner of the physical network remains American firm Telxius with access to over 750,000 kilometers, much of it leased to other operators. Data traffic depends on seamless coordination between owners for cabling maintenance, repairs, capacity augmentation and new link installations.
Big Tech's Growing Role
Tech giants like Google, Facebook and Microsoft also have interests in submarine cable projects and see them as strategic. They have financed or co-financed multiple new cables in the past decade to ensure adequate connectivity for their cloud and content delivery networks. With increasing data localizations pressures worldwide, such projects help these firms establish regional infrastructure presence. For e.g. Facebook co-financed the 2Africa cable which will circumnavigate Africa when completed in 2023-24.
Vulnerabilities and Failures
Given their critical role, cable disruptions can cause data and economic losses. Physical damage from anchor drags, trawling, earthquakes or even shark bites have caused failures in the past. Cybersecurity also poses risks as cables are entry points for espionage. Owners work to rapidly locate and repair faults, typically through specialist repair ships that can pinpoint breaks and complete splicing in a matter of weeks. New projects are increasing cable route diversity for resilience against single point failures. Governments also recognize their broader economic importance and are supporting repairs efforts.
Ongoing Expansion
To match escalating bandwidth needs, new cables are added every year to existing routes or open up new regions and city connections. Some upcoming new projects include the Bay to Bay connecting Florida to Brazil, the INDIGO connecting Java to Australia, and the 2Africa cable which will have connections to over 35 African countries. Future technologies like space lasers may provide alternatives but subsea networks are likely to remain the predominant method of high-capacity intercontinental connectivity for years to come considering the vast sunk investments in place. Their future reliability and capacity will define digital national competitiveness in the coming decades.
the dense grid of submarine cables represents one of history's greatest engineering feats. Invisibly connecting continents beneath the waves, they form the hidden digital arteries powering the 21st century ized economy and society. While often overlooked, these cables determine the extent and cost of international data flows. Their continual expansion and protection is ensuring universal connectivity remains an engine of economic growth and social progress worldwide.
Get More Insights on- Submarine Cables
Get this Report in Japanese Language:
海底ケーブル
Get this Report in Korean Language:
해저 케이블
Resources:
Recent development in Submarine Cables Industry
Environmental Impact and Sustainability of Submarine Cables
Technological Innovations Shaping the Submarine Cables Industry
About Author:
Alice Mutum is a seasoned senior content editor at Coherent Insights, leveraging extensive expertise gained from her previous role as a content writer. With seven years in content development, Alice masterfully employs SEO best practices and cutting-edge digital ing strategies to craft high-ranking, impactful content. As an editor, she meticulously ensures flawless grammar and punctuation, precise data accuracy, and perfect alignment with audience needs in every research report. Alice's dedication to excellence and her strategic approach to content make her an invaluable asset in the world of insights.
(LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alice-mutum-3b247b137 )