{"id":169835,"date":"2025-09-14T19:10:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T19:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-submarine-cables-were-controlled-by-teleoperators-but-now-major-technology-companies-have-taken-over-their-management\/"},"modified":"2025-09-14T19:10:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T19:10:16","slug":"the-submarine-cables-were-controlled-by-teleoperators-but-now-major-technology-companies-have-taken-over-their-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/the-submarine-cables-were-controlled-by-teleoperators-but-now-major-technology-companies-have-taken-over-their-management\/","title":{"rendered":"The submarine cables were controlled by teleoperators, but now major technology companies have taken over their management."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The world of \u00a0submarine cables\u00a0 is intricate and vital to our daily digital lives. These cables, which transport \u00a095% of global data traffic\u00a0 across continents, are responsible for handling an astonishing \u00a0$10 billion\u00a0 in financial transactions each day, as noted by Telegeography<\/a>. They support everything from video streaming to complex \u00a0artificial intelligence\u00a0 networks. However, the landscape of ownership and control over these critical infrastructures has shifted dramatically in recent years, moving away from traditional telecommunication companies to the hands of prominent technology giants like \u00a0Google, Meta, Microsoft\u00a0, and \u00a0Amazon\u00a0. This transformation prompts discussions around \u00a0digital sovereignty\u00a0, dependence, and resilience amidst geopolitical challenges.<\/p>\n

Historically, submarine cables were constructed through public operator consortiums and major telecommunication firms. The cost of installing these cables typically reached hundreds of millions of dollars, requiring various stakeholders to distribute the financial risk involved in their creation, as documented by Capacity Media<\/a>. The recent \u00a02Africa cable\u00a0, laid by a consortium including Meta, indicates that while traditional models still exist, the balance of power has shifted considerably in just a decade.<\/p>\n

Currently, the situation is striking: Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon together manage approximately \u00a0half of the world\u2019s underwater bandwidth\u00a0. Between \u00a02019 and 2023\u00a0, these tech giants financed nearly \u00a025%\u00a0 of the newly operational cable systems, as reported by the Carnegie Endowment<\/a>. Predictions indicate that around \u00a060 new submarine cables\u00a0 are expected to be built globally by 2027, as highlighted in the latest Telegeography map<\/a>, emphasizing a substantial shift in control over key internet infrastructure.<\/p>\n

How Technology Took Over the Underwater Routes<\/h2>\n

The qualitative shift isn’t just in participation; it also involves outright ownership. Companies like Google own cables such as \u00a0Curie\u00a0 (USA-Chile), \u00a0Dunant\u00a0 (USA-France), \u00a0Grace Hopper\u00a0 (USA-Spain), and \u00a0Equiano\u00a0 (Portugal-Nigeria-South Africa). Meta aims to establish its own cable, named \u00a0Waterworth\u00a0, exceeding \u00a040,000 km\u00a0 in length to connect the \u00a0USA\u00a0 to vital markets in the Southern Hemisphere, strategically bypassing high-risk waters like the Red Sea.<\/p>\n

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The \u00a02Africa\u00a0 project, while still organized under a consortium model, underscores this evolution, as Meta plays a significant role in shaping the partnership dynamics with several operators. In fact, Europe, according to the Carnegie Endowment<\/a>, maintains the highest concentration of submarine cables globally, with two-thirds of its external connectivity reliant on these cables. This illustrates Europe’s \u00a0strategic vulnerability\u00a0, particularly as much of its data traffic is stored within US-based data centers, amplifying its technological dependence.<\/p>\n

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In light of these developments, Europe possesses strategic assets such as \u00a0Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN)\u00a0, recognized as the world leader in kilometers of deployed cable between \u00a02020 and 2024\u00a0. However, nations like France and Italy are taking proactive steps to protect these assets as “sovereign industrial champions,” recognizing the need to ensure robust control over essential infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the stability of the cables is increasingly threatened by more than just natural wear and tear. With \u00a0Russia\u00a0 ramping up underwater patrols and \u00a0China\u00a0 unveiling an advanced ship capable of severing cables at depths of up to \u00a04,000 meters\u00a0, the geopolitical stakes are rising. The limited capabilities for cable repair and installation further complicate matters; there are only about \u00a080 ships worldwide\u00a0 dedicated to this essential function, with Europe ill-equipped to handle operations in \u00a0Arctic regions\u00a0 or harsh marine ice conditions.<\/p>\n

The fragmented legal landscape poses additional challenges. Notably, many European nations have yet to ratify the \u00a01884 Convention\u00a0, hindering the prosecution of acts aimed at sabotaging these critical infrastructures. Furthermore, the time required to obtain installation and repair permits in Europe has doubled in the last decade, hampering timely responses to incidents.<\/p>\n

Towards a More Fragmented and Dependent Internet<\/h2>\n

The increasing dominance of major tech companies in submarine cable infrastructure exemplifies a systematic approach to control the physical layer of the Internet. This vertical integration allows them to reduce costs, improve service efficiency, and circumvent disruptions. On the flip side, traditional telecommunications companies find themselves at a crossroads: adapt or risk obsolescence.<\/p>\n

While some operators still hold significant roles, they must navigate an ecosystem largely dictated by tech giants. Looking ahead, the demand for intercontinental traffic is expected to \u00a0double every two years\u00a0 due to the influence of \u00a05G\u00a0, cloud technology, and AI developments. New avenues such as \u00a0polar corridors\u00a0 are being explored to enhance efficiency in transcontinental communication.<\/p>\n

The looming concern of a splinternet\u2014a fragmented internet controlled by distinct political alignments\u2014poses significant risks. Europe finds itself balancing its historical openness with the pressing need to safeguard its \u00a0strategic interests\u00a0 in the ever-evolving digital landscape, an aspect underscored by analysts from \u00a0Oxford University\u00a0.<\/p>\n

As we transition to a future dominated by tech giants and fragile geopolitical tensions, the pressing challenge remains clear: ensuring the next generation of the Internet is not solely reliant on foreign entities. The journey towards not just expanding cable networks, but securing autonomy over digital infrastructure is now more crucial than ever.<\/p>\n


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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The world of \u00a0submarine cables\u00a0 is intricate and vital to our daily digital lives. These cables, which transport \u00a095% of global data traffic\u00a0 across continents, are responsible for handling an astonishing \u00a0$10 billion\u00a0 in financial transactions each day, as noted by Telegeography. They support everything from video streaming to complex \u00a0artificial intelligence\u00a0 networks. However, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":169836,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[8182,1723,4847,187,858,7452,2835,42183],"class_list":["post-169835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-cables","tag-companies","tag-controlled","tag-major","tag-management","tag-submarine","tag-technology","tag-teleoperators"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169835"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169835\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169836"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}