In an interconnected world, where digital infrastructure underpins everything from global commerce to personal communication, keeping subsea cables stable has become a mission-critical task. These cables, which span vast oceanic distances, are the primary means of transmitting data across continents.
As the reliance on these cables intensifies, so does the need for resilience in the face of growing natural, technological, and geopolitical threats.
Vulnerabilities and Risks to Subsea Cables
While subsea cables have served as a remarkably reliable mode of communication, they are not immune to disruption. Natural phenomena, such as undersea earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and severe weather conditions, pose serious risks to the stability of these cables. For example, in early 2022, an undersea volcanic eruption near Tonga severely damaged multiple subsea cables, causing widespread internet outages in the Pacific region.
Beyond natural phenomena, records show that the majority of damage to submarine cables is a result of human activity, primarily fishing and anchoring. As subsea cables forge new routes and are erected at convenient landing sites, new risks exist; especially in areas where submarine cables have not interacted with the surrounding environment before. The International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) cited the interaction between submarine cables and fish aggregating devices (FADs) in Indonesian waters, among other locations, as an example of this. Damage from interaction with FADs has been reported even at several-thousand-meter depths, in locations where repairs can be particularly challenging.
Geopolitical tensions have also emerged as a noteworthy risk. As subsea cables are integral to the global economy, they have become targets for cyber-attacks and sabotage. Internet connectivity between parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe suddenly slowed during Q1 2024 when three undersea cables were damaged in the Red Sea. During the last quarter of the year, two major submarine cables were also severed, sparking investigations across Finland, Sweden, Germany, and Lithuania. The incidents come at a time of heightened tensions in the Baltic Sea region, amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and growing concerns over hybrid warfare tactics targeting critical infrastructure.
Analysts also warned that incidents such as the damage of a cable part in the Trans-Pacific Express network could expose Taiwan’s strategic vulnerabilities, particularly amid escalating tensions with China.
The Growing Need for Resilience
The increasing dependence on subsea cables is inextricably linked to the expansion of the digital economy. With the rise of 5G networks, the explosion of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and the widespread adoption of cloud computing, the demand for bandwidth and low-latency communication is skyrocketing. This means that subsea cables must evolve to handle exponentially larger volumes of data while ensuring uninterrupted service in different parts of the world.
In the beginning of 2025, du was named the exclusive UAE partner for the PEACE Cable project, securing the country’s sole landing point for the system. Leveraging diverse terrestrial cables, PEACE offers low-latency connectivity to regional data centers in countries like Egypt, Pakistan, and the Seychelles. Operators such as Orange, Telecom Egypt, and Singtel manage various landing points along the route.
In 2023, state-owned telecom firms in China claimed to be developing a USD 500 million undersea fiber-optic internet cable network to compete with the SEA-ME-WE-6 cable, which connects a similar route.
Expected to be ready-for-service (RFS) by the end of 2025, the EMA (Europe-Middle East-Asia) cable will connect Hong Kong to China's island province of Hainan, while also connecting to Singapore, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and France.
Climate change is another factor that has escalated the importance of subsea cable resilience. Rising sea levels, along with increasingly intense storms and earthquakes, threaten to disrupt cables that were once located in areas considered stable. In response, companies are adapting their strategies to ensure that cables can withstand more extreme weather conditions and environmental changes.
Enhancing Subsea Cable Resilience
In response to these challenges, industry leaders have begun to adopt new strategies to enhance the resilience of subsea cables. One key approach is the development of more diverse and redundant routes for data transmission. By laying multiple cables along different routes, telecom operators can ensure that if one cable is damaged, others can be utilized to maintain connectivity.
In addition to physical resilience, advanced monitoring systems are playing an increasingly important role. Technologies like fiber-optic sensors and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven algorithms are being used to monitor the health of subsea cables in real time. This allows for the early detection of potential disruptions, enabling prompt maintenance and repairs.
Cybersecurity also plays a critical role in subsea cable resilience. As the risk of cyber-attacks targeting subsea cable networks increases, operators are investing in advanced cybersecurity measures to safeguard these critical assets.
The Path Forward: Global Collaboration and Investment
Ensuring subsea cable resilience is a shared responsibility among telecom operators, governments, and international organizations. Enhanced collaboration is necessary to strengthen the global subsea cable infrastructure and provide a unified response to rising threats.
For instance, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been selected to join the International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience, underscoring its leadership in enhancing the security and reliability of critical submarine cable infrastructure. Established by the ITU in collaboration with the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), the advisory body focuses on strengthening submarine cable resilience, promoting best practices for cable protection, and advancing global collaboration, technological innovation, and investment strategies.
Moreover, increasing investments in subsea cable resilience are crucial for future-proofing global connectivity. Governments and private companies must allocate funds not only for the physical protection of cables but also for the development of innovative technologies to monitor, maintain, and repair them.
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