When someone cuts internet cables underwater, this is what occurs. Will the internet continue to be unavailable?
From practically anywhere in the world, we can connect to the Internet, communicate with people worldwide, and visit websites hosted anywhere.
A portion of this is made possible by underwater cables. You can connect from your country to a server hosted in Australia, for example. But what happens if those undersea cables are cut? It has happened. Let’s talk about the consequences.
This can happen by accident, but also intentionally. Especially in times of international tension, such as we are experiencing now, disrupting this type of infrastructure may be a goal for some. Creating chaos and causing service disruption may be an obvious goal.
- Risks of submarine cables
There are over 500 submarine cables connecting the world. This is what allows us on every continent to get online and stay connected. They are not that different cables, although we might think otherwise. However, they have an outer sheath that makes them more resistant to being in the ocean.
It’s true that satellite internet exists, and it’s going to become increasingly present. However, we still rely heavily on submarine cables. In fact, it’s estimated that 95% of today’s traffic goes over these cables. If they were cut, if they were no longer available, that would be a problem, wouldn’t it?
These cables are not much different from the fiber cables that run into our homes. They contain glass fibers that transmit light. The exterior is different to make them more resistant. However, they are really easy to break. Plus, there are thousands of miles of them, so the risk of problems is greater than it is now.
- There have been instances of submarine cable outages before.
We’ve already seen cases of submarine cable cuts. A particularly notable case involved the nation of Tonga, in Oceania. Their island status, coupled with their remote location, means they rely heavily on these submarine cables. But what happened? A volcanic eruption in 2022 cut the cable that connected the country to the internet.
This was a big problem as it took 5 weeks to fully restore the fiber optic cable. They worked by boat for weeks. In total, the cables are just over 800 kilometers long, and the damaged area is 92 kilometers. However, the country is made up of several islands, and apart from the main island, it took a few more months to get back to normal.
There have also been instances where sharks have been the hero. Cables are exposed to marine animals and, in extreme cases, can become damaged and stop working properly.
But what happens if someone decides to cut an undersea internet cable? Well, it depends on the situation. It can range from leaving an entire country without internet, as was the case in Tonga, to nothing happening at all. Larger countries are connected by multiple cables. For example, the United States has over 80 cables. If they cut one of them, they won’t be left without internet. Yes, there can be specific problems.
So while it is true that we are exposed to submarine cables and that cutting them poses a risk, it is unlikely to become a major problem. However, there may be specific cases, such as Tonga, where there is only one cable connected and a complete internet outage would occur.