Recent assaults in the Red Sea have illuminated the vulnerability of critical submarine internet cables, sparking concerns about potential disruptions to worldwide connectivity.
Three vital cables, pivotal for global internet and telecommunications, were severed in the Red Sea, a pivotal maritime passage facilitating essential data transmission between continents.
The attacks, attributed to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, have plunged global internet traffic into chaos, affecting around a quarter of data flow through the Red Sea.
Among the casualties are the Asia-Africa-Europe 1, the Europe India Gateway, Seacom, and TGN-Gulf cables, essential lifelines for ferrying data between Asia, Europe, and Africa.
The damage inflicted on these cables has spurred immediate rerouting efforts by telecom giants to mitigate disruptions to services.
The Houthis, while disavowing responsibility for the attacks, have labelled them as part of their campaign to pressure Israel into ending its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The sabotage of submarine cables poses a significant threat to global connectivity, particularly in regions heavily reliant on these subaquatic conduits for data transmission.
The interruption of internet services could have profound ramifications for international trade, financial transactions, and communication networks reliant on seamless connections between continents.
Efforts to address the damage and reinstate connectivity are underway, with telecom giants labouring to redirect traffic and repair the severed cables.
In addition to concerns about deliberate attacks, questions have been raised about the Houthis’ capacity to target submarine cables directly.
While lacking the sophisticated capabilities to assail underwater infrastructure, the use of drifting ships with trailing anchors has been mooted as a possible cause of the cable damage.
The bustling maritime traffic in the region, coupled with the shallow seabed depth in parts of the Red Sea represent significant potential for deliberate sabotage by the terrorist organisations and hostile states sponsoring them.
According to consulting firm TeleGeography, there are a total of 574 such cables worldwide, constantly evolving with new installations replacing outdated ones.
Leading the charge in supplying and installing these cables are France, the USA, and Japan, whose efforts have created a global web of connectivity over the past 35 years.
Key players in this market include companies like SubCom, NEC Corporation, Alcatel Submarine Networks, and HMN Tech, responsible for laying approximately 1.4 million kilometers of fiber optic cables encased in metal sheaths.
Additionally, technology giants such as Google, Meta, and Microsoft have significantly increased investments in building new infrastructure to support their services, accounting for 35% of all investments in this sector.
These cables’ routes correspond to the flow of technological development worldwide, facilitating vast data exchanges between continents.
For example, Asia, Europe, and South America engage in extensive data exchanges with North America, encompassing everything from ordinary emails to intergovernmental communications and financial transactions.
Submarine communication cables, with thicknesses typically no greater than that of a garden hose, play a critical role in ensuring the seamless transmission of data.
Ranging from short branches to colossal cables like 2Africa, spanning 45,000 kilometers, their capabilities evolve with technological advancements. The MAREA cable, operational since 2018, boasts a data transmission rate of 224 terabits per second.
Despite their critical importance, there remains an uneven distribution of cables between continents, with some regions, such as Australia and South America, lacking direct connections.
This asymmetry reflects the varying demands for data exchange between different regions, with each requiring different levels of connectivity.
The recent incident in the Red Sea underscores the fragility of global connectivity and the potential ramifications of deliberate disruptions to submarine cables.
As society becomes increasingly reliant on digital networks, ensuring the security and resilience of submarine cables emerges as a paramount concern in safeguarding global security and connectivity.
Undersea Fibre Cable Damaged in Red Sea: Reports Point to Houthi Rebels
Main Image: By Author of Carna Botnet "Internet Census 2012", PGP public key – http://web.archive.org/web/0/http://internetcensus2012.bitbucket.org/images/geovideo_lowres.gif , [1]Internet Census 2012: Port scanning /0 using insecure embedded devices, Carna Botnet, June – Oktober 2012, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26114329
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