The Internet’s undersea backbone is slipping into the danger zone
Summary
Most of the world’s internet connection relies on fiber-optic cables laid on the ocean floor. These undersea cables and power lines face growing risks from accidents and deliberate damage amid rising global tensions and conflicts.Key Facts
- About 60% of undersea cable damage happens by accident, such as fishing nets or ship anchors dragging on the seabed.
- Natural events like storms and underwater landslides cause some cable damage.
- Between 150 and 200 subsea cables get damaged each year but are usually repaired quickly.
- Suspicious incidents of cables being cut have increased during global conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.
- In December 2024, a Russian-linked tanker dragged its anchor and damaged several cables in the Baltic Sea, prompting legal action in Finland.
- In 2025, a Chinese ship captain was jailed in Taiwan for cutting an undersea telecommunications cable.
- Countries like the UK, Norway, and the US have confronted Russian submarines testing technology to disable undersea cables.
- Some nations are trying to impose fees on undersea cables passing through strategic areas like the Strait of Hormuz.
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