How much thought do you give to underwater cables?
- There are currently over 350 undersea cables around the world
- The first was laid in 1854, connecting Newfoundland and Ireland across the Atlantic
- 17 underwater cables connect the east coast of the US to Europe
- The “Far North Fiber” cable spans 8700 miles from Japan to Europe via the Arctic
- 2 cut through Lake Michigan
- Modern cables can transmit about 400 terabits per second, compared to about 260 gigabits per second with satellites.
Over 95% of global internet traffic runs through these cables. They are the backbone of global communication.
Yet most of us barely think about them. The global internet “just works” because people thought of, financed, designed, installed, and now maintain this vast network of infrastructure.
What are the other undersea cables in your life?
