The Battle for Underwater Internet Cables: US vs China

The technological rivalry between the US and China has now extended to the underwater cables that power the global internet. This shift comes after increased public awareness following attacks on critical cables in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels. These subsea cables, spanning nearly 1.4 million kilometers, are vital for global data traffic.

According to telecom market research firm TeleGeometry, there are currently 574 active and planned submarine cables worldwide, with the number expected to rise due to the surge in data traffic driven by video streaming and cloud services. Tech giants like Meta, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are investing in subsea cables to meet this growing demand.

However, security concerns have arisen due to China’s involvement in subsea cables. US officials have warned tech firms about possible Chinese spying on undersea cables in the Pacific region. China’s state-controlled company, S.B. Submarine Systems, has been accused of concealing its repair ships’ locations, raising suspicions of espionage.

To address these concerns, the US government, through an interagency committee called Team Telecom, is working to prevent direct cable connections between US territory and mainland China or Hong Kong. These underwater cables have become critical points of vulnerability in the global internet infrastructure, with disruptions potentially causing widespread effects on land-based networks.

The battle over underwater cables highlights the growing importance of these crucial data highways and the international tensions surrounding their ownership and security.