{"id":219557,"date":"2026-04-26T02:22:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T02:22:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/95-of-intercontinental-internet-traffic-travels-through-submarine-cables-china-demonstrates-ability-to-cut-them-at-3500-meters\/"},"modified":"2026-04-26T02:22:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T02:22:59","slug":"95-of-intercontinental-internet-traffic-travels-through-submarine-cables-china-demonstrates-ability-to-cut-them-at-3500-meters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/95-of-intercontinental-internet-traffic-travels-through-submarine-cables-china-demonstrates-ability-to-cut-them-at-3500-meters\/","title":{"rendered":"95% of Intercontinental Internet Traffic Travels Through Submarine Cables: China Demonstrates Ability to Cut Them at 3,500 Meters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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## The Crucial Role of Submarine Cables<\/p>\n

The world is intricately woven together through what we cannot see; 95% of global internet traffic flows via submarine fiber optic cables, lying deep beneath the ocean’s surface. This vital infrastructure, while often overlooked, underpins our digital lives and is increasingly vulnerable to various threats. Historically, the risks were primarily accidental damage in shallow waters. However, with advancements in technology, the threat landscape has now expanded to deliberate sabotage.<\/p>\n

## China’s Milestone in Deep-Sea Cable Cutting<\/p>\n

Recently, China has made headlines by successfully testing a submarine cable cutter capable of operating at depths of up to 3,500 meters. This significant milestone is not just a technical achievement but a stark warning for sailors and nations reliant on these critical undersea networks.<\/p>\n

### The Cutting Technology<\/p>\n

The cutting tool developed by China utilizes an electro-hydrostatic actuator (EHA). This compact, integrated system combines hydraulic mechanisms, electric motors, and control units into a single device. According to reports, the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources announced this achievement during a deep-water mission of the Haiyang Dizhi 2 scientific vessel, marking an important step in underwater engineering.<\/p>\n

### Previous Developments<\/p>\n

Chinese research into underwater cable cutting isn’t new. The China Naval Scientific Research Center has previously developed a vessel equipped with a diamond-coated grinding wheel capable of working at depths up to 4,000 meters, indicating a focused effort on technological advancements in this domain.<\/p>\n

## The Importance of Submarine Cables<\/p>\n

These submarine cables are the backbone of global data traffic, with a pivotal role in financial systems that handle around $22 trillion per business day. Any disruption could create widespread chaos, leading to digital isolation, financial instability, and degraded military capabilities. This impact is far more substantial than a mere cyberattack, highlighting the strategic importance of ensuring the integrity of these undersea infrastructures.<\/p>\n

## Vulnerabilities and Sabotage Concerns<\/p>\n

Despite their significance, undersea cables are inherently vulnerable due to their exposure to potential sabotage. The depth where these cables are located (up to 3,500 meters) does not guarantee safety, as repair operations at such depths are slow, costly, and require specialized vessels. <\/p>\n

Since 2024, Chinese vessels have frequently been implicated in alleged sabotage incidents involving undersea cables, raising global concerns, particularly within NATO, about the security of these essential infrastructures against hybrid warfare tactics. <\/p>\n

## Dual Purposes: Research vs. Sabotage<\/p>\n

While China justifies its advancements in cable cutting technology as part of its scientific research, including underwater mining operations, the dual-purpose nature of such tools cannot be ignored. The ability to cut cables may be framed as a technical necessity for scientific endeavors, but it undeniably serves potentially nefarious objectives as well.<\/p>\n

### Cutting Techniques: Innovating Under Pressure<\/p>\n

The underwater cable cutting technology also reflects a growing need for fast and cost-effective solutions to cable failures. Traditional methods are complex, requiring the detection and excavation of cables for damage. With innovations in cable cutting tools, it becomes possible to directly operate on the seabed cables without extraction, thus streamlining the sabotage process.<\/p>\n

## Conclusion: The Need for Vigilance<\/p>\n

As China continues to develop its capabilities in underwater technology, the global community must remain vigilant about the security of its submarine cables. While the Chinese government maintains that these tools are for marine research and mitigation of underwater hazards, the implications for internet security and international relations are profound. Cooperation among nations to protect these infrastructures may be crucial in ensuring the stability and safety of our interconnected world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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

## The Crucial Role of Submarine Cables The world is intricately woven together through what we cannot see; 95% of global internet traffic flows via submarine fiber optic cables, lying deep beneath the ocean’s surface. This vital infrastructure, while often overlooked, underpins our digital lives and is increasingly vulnerable to various threats. Historically, the risks […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":219558,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[14971,8182,2397,675,18394,9027,6280,846,7452,387,1442],"class_list":["post-219557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-ability","tag-cables","tag-china","tag-cut","tag-demonstrates","tag-intercontinental","tag-internet","tag-meters","tag-submarine","tag-traffic","tag-travels"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219557","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=219557"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":219559,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219557\/revisions\/219559"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/219558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=219557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=219557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=219557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}