Think tank presents ten-point plan for European undersea cable strategy
Four US corporations control 71 percent of undersea cable capacity. A Brussels-based think tank is now calling for a holistic EU counter-strategy.
Undersea cables are the digital lifelines of Europe for internet connectivity
(Image: Submarine Cable Map)
Europe has less and less say in underwater cables. An investigation report by the EU recently came to this conclusion. It is primarily the large US technology corporations that are driving the expansion of cables. Furthermore, there is a high dependence on suppliers that do not exist in the EU. There is also a lack of specialized ships for repairs. The European Policy Center (EPC) has now developed ten proposals for a holistic EU strategy to prevent Europe from being left behind.
The non-profit think tank in Brussels was supported by the Vodafone Institute for Society and Communication. It is therefore not surprising that the discussion paper also contains proposals to better position European telecommunications providers so that they remain competitive in undersea cables.
More funding, more EU control
Among the proposals is the classification of underwater cables as a service of general economic interest. This would allow for more state support. In return, the EU would gain more control over capacity utilization and could set conditions for cable landings. However, this would not affect the cable projects of so-called hyperscalers like Google and Meta, as they usually do not receive EU funding.
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The visionaries from Brussels also suggest that the European Investment Bank should play a more active role. The EU could consolidate various funding pots and, for example, create its own fund to secure underwater cables. Demands that benefit telecommunications companies include loosening EU merger rules and defining telecommunications markets at the EU level instead of nationally. However, companies would have to make binding investment commitments for this.
Improve protection against sabotage
The paper also advocates that European submarine cable operators should not be disadvantaged, for example, in emissions trading, compared to providers from Great Britain or other non-EU countries. A state-supported insurance model could strengthen Europe's position, as could the establishment of the “International Cable Protection Committee” (ICPC) as a standard-setting institution. So far, it is a private initiative without binding powers.
Furthermore, it is proposed to strengthen coordination between the EU and NATO to better protect underwater cables. In many member states, there also needs to be better coordination between defense, regulatory authorities, and infrastructure operators to be better prepared against sabotage and hybrid warfare.
200 incidents per year
The EU investigation was initiated after several incidents in which underwater cables were damaged. The focus was on the Baltic Sea, but sightings of spy ships in the Atlantic and North Sea also give cause for concern that the connections could be attacked in the future.
According to the discussion paper, 97 percent of global internet traffic is handled via underwater cables. 71 percent of global underwater cable capacity is controlled by only four US companies (Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon). The International Cable Protection Committee estimates the number of incidents involving undersea cables at 200 per year.
(mki)
