All posts tagged: Undersea

The Gulf’s AI Boom Has an Undersea Cable Problem

The Gulf’s AI Boom Has an Undersea Cable Problem

Published by skeptic

The Gulf’s AI ambitions depend on something surprisingly fragile: a handful of undersea cables running through some of the world’s most volatile waterways. Countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE have spent billions building AI infrastructure, attracting hyperscalers and positioning themselves as future exporters of compute capacity. But as the region shifts from oil wealth to AI-driven economies, the infrastructure carrying that data is increasingly becoming a strategic vulnerability. Undersea cables have long powered the global internet. Now, they are becoming geopolitical assets. Following the escalation between the US, Israel, and Iran earlier this year, experts warned that regional conflict could threaten critical cable infrastructure in the Gulf. In May, media reports claimed Iran was considering taking control of all seven undersea cables running through the Strait of Hormuz. Undersea cables carry an estimated 95 percent of all international data traffic. For the Gulf, the problem is concentration: Much of the region’s connectivity to Europe and the US still depends on just a few routes through the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz. The …

Say Goodbye to the Undersea Cable That Made the Global Internet Possible

Say Goodbye to the Undersea Cable That Made the Global Internet Possible

Published by skeptic

Sharks are innocent. Or at least they’re not eating the internet. As a family of cartilaginous fish, sharks are collectively not guilty of most, if not all, charges of biting, chomping, chewing, or otherwise attacking the underwater network of fiber-optic cables. The people who build and maintain the nearly 600 subsea cables that carry almost all of our intercontinental traffic—supporting just about every swipe, tap, Zoom, and doomscroll anywhere on the planet—have a love-hate relationship with this myth, which has persisted for decades. They might even hate that I’m starting this piece with it. If a cable is suspended over the seabed, a shark might gum it as it explores. Sometimes they’ll lunge for a cable that’s being pulled out of the water. But for a shark to actually bite a cable, you’d have to wrap it in fish, much as you’d hide a pill in a hunk of cheese for the dog. Rats can be a threat on land, because their incisors never stop growing, so they like to file them down on semisoft cables. …

Finnish Police Seize Russia-Linked Ship Accused Of Cutting Undersea Cable

Finnish Police Seize Russia-Linked Ship Accused Of Cutting Undersea Cable

Published by Jenni Sidey

The Europeans have taken yet more ‘counter-Russia’ actions amid widespread allegations that Moscow has sponsored sabotage campaigns targeting EU communications infrastructure. Finnish authorities have newly detained a cargo ship suspected of damaging an undersea communications cable. The vessel has been identified as the Fitburg, and had departed St. Petersburg, Russia and was traveling toward Israel when it was intercepted by Finnish authorities. Handout: Anadolu/Getty Images Security officials have since confirmed, “Finnish authorities have taken control of the vessel as part of a joint operation.” The cable in question links Helsinki with Tallinn and is operated by the Finnish telecom company Elisa. Like with other similar cable cutting allegations, officials admit there’s no smoking gun proof at this point. Prior similar instances of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ supposedly engaged in cable cutting activity have generated ample headlines but nothing in the way of proof. Bloomberg and European media have reported that fourteen crew members are currently being held by authorities – which includes nationals of Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. The Finnish police and the Border Guard …