Whether you call it the information age or the digital age, the world relies on the dependable transfer of data. Most of the data transferred globally moves through submerged cables. Although today’s cables are technologically advanced, subsea cables have been around for over 150 years. The staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explains, “The earliest submarine cables carried telegraphic traffic. The first successful trans-Atlantic submarine cable — a simple copper wire — became operational in 1866, delivering about 12 telegraphed words per minute. As technology and laying techniques improved, the submarine network expanded greatly. In September 1956, the era of submarine coaxial telephone communication began when two coaxial cables capable of carrying multiple voice channels came into service linking London and North America. Finally, in 1988, the first transoceanic fiber-optic cable was installed linking the U.S., the U.K, and France.”[1]

How important are undersea cables? The Congressional Research Service (CRS) explains, “Undersea telecommunication cables enable consumers, businesses, and governments, including the military, to communicate with each other and to access the internet. Private and state-owned telecommunication and technology companies operate about 486 undersea telecommunication cables, which connect every continent except Antarctica. These privately owned cables carry about 99% of transoceanic digital communications (e.g., voice, data, internet), including trillions of daily international financial transactions, and serve as the backbone for the global internet.”[1]

Strategic Assets

With so much of the world economy relying on undersea cables, it’s little wonder they are viewed as strategic assets. Sharat Sinha, CEO of Airtel Business, observes, “Subsea cables are more than just technological marvels; they are essentially the strategic assets that play a foundational role in enhancing global internet connectivity by serving as the primary infrastructure for international data transmission. These fiber-optic highways connect continents, countries, and data centers across the globe. The fast proliferation of these cables today underpins the expansion of digital infrastructure worldwide, even as they continue to enable seamless global communication, commerce, and internet hubs around the world.”[2]

As of 2026, there are more than 600 active and planned submarine cables extending over 1.5 million kilometers globally. Safeguarding those cables has become a national (and global) security issue. The CRS staff notes, “Recent damage and threats to commercial undersea telecommunication cables have raised concerns among U.S. officials and experts over the security of commercial undersea telecommunication cables.” The staff reports that some countries have the ability to cut or tap undersea cables and there has already been a cyberattack on a commercial undersea telecommunication cable connecting Hawaii and the Pacific region.

Romina Bandura, Erin Murphy, and Thomas Bryja, analysts with the Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS), insist there is a need for “greater resources for protecting and repairing these vital networks … for the continued security of internet infrastructure.”[4] They add, “The structures facilitating digital connectivity may now be considered critical infrastructure, just like water, energy, and transportation infrastructure. Subsea cable systems foster societal cohesion, enable economic growth, and safeguard national security.” According to Bandura and her colleagues, “Cable damage is common: On average, there are 200 cable faults annually, mainly due to fishing and commercial vessels dropping or dragging anchors. This rate has remained steady for the last decade.” These incidents also show how vulnerable undersea cables can be.

Protecting Subsea Cables

The CRS staff, in its report to Congress, wrote, “Some [experts] have called for a more coordinated approach to securing undersea cables such as appointing a lead agency to oversee cable security or establishing a public-private initiative to enhance cable security. On the one hand, these are private assets, maintained by their owners, with few disruptions reported. On the other hand, given the heavy reliance on commercial undersea cables for consumer, financial, government, and some military communications, and given the increasing threats from human activity, natural disasters, and bad actors, Congress may increase U.S. government oversight and involvement in ensuring security of commercial undersea telecommunication cables.”

Bandura, Murphy, and Bryja agree that more needs to be done to protect this vital undersea infrastructure. They offer several suggestions for policymakers in both the public and private sectors:

Public Sector Suggestions. On the national level, their recommendations are in line with those mentioned by the CRS staff. They write, “Governments must raise subsea cables to a national security priority and pursue efforts to streamline permitting and regulatory processes, clarify project approval timelines, and aid engagement with the private sector, including by designating a single responsible agency or point of contact.” At the international level, they suggest more cooperation and enforcement. They explain, “Maritime treaties and frameworks must be updated to reflect contemporary realities, while ensuring that coastal states are held accountable for enforcing relevant laws and ensuring perpetrators face real consequences for the activities of vessels bearing their flag.”

Private Sector Suggestions. For private sector stakeholders, Bandura and her colleagues believe more cooperation and stronger public-private partnerships are required. They explain, “The private sector — including cable manufacturers and the major companies driving global data usage — should engage proactively with governments to align commercial and security priorities, ensuring that infrastructure development and protection efforts are mutually reinforcing.” They also suggest that the private sector take advantage of emerging technologies. They write, “Leveraging new technologies, such as sensors, drones, and unmanned underwater vehicles, is critical to enhancing detection and deterrence in the protection of this vital infrastructure.”

Concluding Thoughts

Bandura, Murphy, and Bryja conclude, “Both the public and private sectors need to enhance information sharing and collaboration to better understand their respective threats, address challenges, and implement actions for subsea cable protection.” Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes, founder and CEO of the Institute for Science, Entrepreneurship and Investments, agrees with that assessment. She writes, “Submarine cables are no longer passive technical assets; they are foundational infrastructure underpinning the global economy, digital trade, financial systems, and international security. ... At the same time, their concentration, physical exposure, and geopolitical sensitivity introduce systemic risks that can cascade across economies and regions. Preserving stability in this hidden but critical layer of globalization requires novel governance models, quantum-resilient cybersecurity, cross-border collaboration, and shared responsibility among all key stakeholders. Only through strategic stewardship can economic continuity, strategic balance, and global trust be sustained in an increasingly contested digital world.”[5] Although space will continue to play a role in international data transfers, for the foreseeable future, cables under the world’s oceans will remain one of the globe’s most critical infrastructures.

Footnotes

[1] Staff, “Submarine Cables,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 5 March 2024.

[2] Staff, “Undersea Telecommunication Cables: Technology Overview and Issues for Congress,” Congressional Research Service, 13 September 2022.

[3] Sharat Sinha, “Submarine Fiber-Optic Cables: The Hidden Infrastructure Powering Global Digital Economies,” RT Insights, 21 February 2026.

[4] Romina Bandura, Erin Murphy, and Thomas Bryja, “Risk Beneath the Waves: Safeguarding Subsea Cables for a Secure Global Network,” Center for Strategic International Studies, 5 March 2026.

[5] Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes, “The Hidden Arteries of Global Connectivity: Submarine Cables,” LinkedIn, 7 February 2026.