TechThe internet’s undersea backbone is slipping into the danger zone

Most global internet traffic still travels through subsea fiber-optic cables, despite the growth of satellite services such as Starlink. These cables share the seabed with pipelines and power links, and face rising sabotage risks amid gray-zone warfare and open conflict. Elisabeth Braw’s new book examines suspicious incidents involving ships dragging anchors and damaging undersea infrastructure. She says about 60 percent of cable damage is mainly caused by human error in fishing and shipping, while storms and underwater landslides account for some incidents. Around 150 to 200 cables are damaged annually, usually repaired quickly.

undersea cablesinternet infrastructuremaritime securitysabotage

AArs Technica★★★☆☆2026-10-14 11:15Original