What are Undersea Cables?
- Definition: Fiber optic cables laid on the seabed to transmit internet and telecom data across continents.
- Composition: A few inches thick, armored for underwater durability, containing high-capacity fiber strands.
- Usage: Carry ~90% of global internet data, ~80% of world trade, and enable $10 trillion in financial transactions.
- Landing Points: Terminate at coastal manholes and extend inland to connect to telecom networks.
Relevance : GS 3(Infrastructure, Science & Tech, Cybersecurity)
Global Connectivity via Undersea Cables
- Global Web: Around 600 undersea cables interconnect the internet worldwide (Goldman Sachs).
- Trade & Strategy: Routes often mirror historical trade routes for ease of cable-laying logistics.
- Bandwidth Boom: New systems like 2Africa Pearls (Meta-backed) are adding terabit-scale capacities globally.
India’s Subsea Cable Ecosystem
- International Cable Systems: 17 cables land in India (mostly in Mumbai and Chennai).
- 95% of traffic lands in a 6-km stretch in Versova, Mumbai.
- Domestic Systems:
- CANI (Chennai-Andaman-Nicobar Islands)
- Kochi-Lakshadweep project
- New Arrivals:
- SEA-ME-WE 6
- 2Africa Pearls (adds 100 Tbps capacity)
Challenges & Vulnerabilities
- Underdeveloped Network:
- India has only 1–3% of global cable landings.
- Fewer cables than Singapore, increasing risk of disruption.
- Red Sea Disruptions:
- Houthi rebel attacks in Bab-el-Mandeb strait have damaged cables.
- Disruption risk: ~25% of India’s internet traffic could be affected.
- Domestic Threats:
- Fishing trawlers frequently damage cables near coasts.
- No domestic cable repair ships or storage depots.
- Dependence on foreign repair vessels slows response time.
- Regulatory Bottlenecks:
- ~51 separate clearances needed from multiple agencies to lay cables.
- Delays in project execution and increase in capital costs.
Steps to Strengthen Infrastructure
- Regulatory Reforms:
- Single-window clearance mechanism to ease cable landing permissions.
- Diversify Landing Sites:
- Reduce over–reliance on Mumbai and Chennai.
- Develop new hubs along the east and west coasts.
- Build Domestic Capacity:
- Invest in Indian repair ships and cable storage facilities.
- Set up dedicated maintenance bases.
- International Partnerships:
- Collaborate with global tech firms (Meta, Google, etc.) for new cable systems and route diversity.
Key Takeaways
- Undersea cables are critical digital infrastructure, essential for economic, communication, and strategic resilience.
- India’s limited capacity and geographic concentration make it highly vulnerable to disruptions.
- Urgent need for policy simplification, redundancy creation, and domestic capability enhancement to secure India’s digital future.
