New Delhi, March 30: The ongoing intense conflict between Iran and the United States poses a significant threat to internet cable lines, particularly submarine cables. If these cables are targeted, it could lead to a global internet disruption. In today’s interconnected world, all countries rely heavily on the internet. A disruption in submarine cables would have far-reaching consequences, making it difficult to assess the potential damage.
Let’s explore the international routes of submarine cables and how the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz could affect them. If these cables are severed, how long would it take to restore them? Approximately 95-97% of the world’s internet supply relies on these submarine cables. An escalation in conflict that damages these cables could severely reduce internet speeds in India and other nations, or even lead to complete outages in some areas. Such disruptions would directly impact banking, online payments, e-commerce, cloud services, and AI hubs, causing significant harm to the global economy that could take a long time to recover from.
These internet cables traverse three major oceans: the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic. The most crucial routes pass through the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
In fact, in the Indian Ocean, submarine cables along the route of the Strait of Hormuz supply between 15% to 30% of internet connectivity to various parts of the world. Projects like SeaMeWe-6, 2Africa (Meta/Facebook), and Blue Raman (Google’s initiative) connect India to Europe. The 2Africa project is the world’s longest submarine cable system, stretching 45,000 kilometers, with significant portions already completed. However, due to attacks by Houthi forces and security concerns, further work in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea has been stalled. The majority of the Blue Raman project is also complete, but work on the Red Sea route is currently halted.
SeaMeWe-6 is a 21,700-kilometer cable being laid from Singapore to France, with Bharti Airtel as one of its main partners. The landing of this cable in Chennai and Mumbai has been completed.
In the Indian Ocean, Reliance Jio is working on projects like the India-Asia Express (IAX) and India-Europe Express (IEX). These cables are being laid from Singapore in the east to Europe in the west. Reliance Jio is developing the IEX to ensure that traffic can be diverted through alternative routes in case of any issues in the Red Sea.
The cable lines in the Atlantic Ocean are a crucial link between America and Europe, representing the busiest route. The first transatlantic cable was laid in this route in 1858. Projects like MAREA and Amity, along with Google’s Nuvem, are currently enhancing capacity on this route.
Additionally, the internet cable lines in the Pacific Ocean are vital for connectivity between America and East Asia. This route connects the U.S. to countries like Japan, China, and Australia. The Foster cable line links Japan and the U.S., while the Pacific Connect Initiative (Google) is investing $1 billion into this route, with new cables like Proa and Taihei under development.
Moreover, projects like Echo and Bifrost (Meta/Google) aim to connect America directly to Indonesia and Singapore, marking the first direct link between Southeast Asia and the U.S. Efforts are underway to significantly increase data capacity between Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. via the Hawaiki Nui cable.
Currently, the tense situation is likely to impact the routes through the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz the most. The Red Sea is critical for connectivity between Asia and Europe, with approximately 17 highly significant cables passing through it. The ongoing conflict has already stalled several submarine cable projects.
In a recent incident in February 2024, four major cables, including Seacom, TGN, and AAE-1, were cut due to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. This incident affected 25% of internet traffic between Asia and Europe. It took nearly five months (until July 2024) for these cables to be fully repaired, as insurance companies and repair vessels refused to operate in the war zone, causing delays in securing permits and ensuring safety.
Previously, in January 2022, a volcanic eruption in Tonga severed the only submarine cable connecting the country to the world, resulting in a complete internet blackout. It took 37 days to reconnect the cable due to difficulties in locating the cable ends amid volcanic ash and debris.
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My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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