Undersea Cables are Increasingly Critical and Vulnerable

Recent events in the Red Sea have highlighted a security vulnerability in undersea telecommunications cables.

In early March, UAE officials reported that three cables in the Red Sea may have been attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, although the Houthis denied involvement. These cables are crucial for internet and telecommunications connectivity across various regions, including Asia-Africa-Europe 1, the Europe India Gateway, Seacom, TGN-Gulf, and HGC Global Communications. The disruption impacted 25% of communications passing through the Red Sea, prompting companies like Tata Communications to take immediate remedial actions to ensure stable connectivity for their customers.

Experts at the Center for International and Strategic Studies have noted that the Red Sea serves as a major chokepoint for both maritime shipping and internet and telecommunications traffic, with significant portions of global communications passing through cables under the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Undersea cables are critical for the global economy and communication infrastructure, carrying 99% of transoceanic digital communications. Companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft play a dominant role in owning or leasing undersea bandwidth, emphasizing the need for greater protection of these vital assets.

Intentional and unintentional attacks on undersea cables have raised concerns about the security of this infrastructure. Recent incidents in France and Tonga have highlighted the vulnerability of undersea cables to both deliberate sabotage and natural disasters, leading to disruptions in communication services.

Identifying the cause of undersea cable damage can be challenging, with factors like fishing nets, weather, and ship anchors potentially causing harm. To enhance undersea cable security, it is essential to treat these cables as critical infrastructure and invest in diverse cable consortiums to create redundancy and mitigate disruptions.

Minilateral and multilateral efforts, such as the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, can play a crucial role in enhancing undersea cable protection on a global scale.

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