Submarine cables: how to better secure digital lifelines

Submarine cables were already important in the past, they occasionally broke down and there were only a few who could repair them on the high seas. However, as a result of global political events, the data cables, which handle 99 percent of international data traffic, have suddenly become the focus of much more public attention. Not least the various cable damages in the Baltic Sea and the suspicion of sabotage against Russia and other actors have led to more and more voices calling for more comprehensive protection.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has now addressed this issue. Together with other stakeholders, it held the first International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit in Abuja, Nigeria. Representatives from governments, industry leaders and international organizations spent two days discussing how the 1.7 million kilometers of connections can be made more resilient. There are currently 150 to 200 disruptions per year worldwide. In view of the increasing importance of digitalization, however, the consequences for national economies and free access to information are more far-reaching than ever.

Creating more landing points

The published final declaration advocates minimizing the risks. This could be achieved, for example, by laying cables on different routes. Spreading out the landing points in the respective countries could also help to ensure that there are fewer "points of failure" that are of particular interest to saboteurs. Until now, cables have often taken the same routes and individual landing points have been used for various submarine cables.

Another point concerns a higher speed in laying and repairing submarine cables. This requires a great deal of cooperation between all players. It is also important to get ahead of the situation when expanding, i.e. to recognize future connectivity requirements and lay new cables as early as possible.

Working groups established

After the summit, many detailed questions remain, which are now to be discussed in newly formed working groups. This also involves identifying risks and the issue of monitoring submarine cables, which are regarded as global critical infrastructure. However, the focus of this first summit was first of all to reach an agreement on recognizing the importance of telecommunications cables. Consequently, this point is also at the forefront of the declaration.

(mki)