BETA
Chapter 1
Anatomy of a deep-sea cable
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Chapter 2
The pioneer era of undersea wires
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Chapter 3
How to lay a cable across an ocean
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Chapter 4
Sharks, anchors, and deep-sea espionage
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Chapter 5
Geopolitics, tech giants, and the future
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YOUR GOAL
Master of The undersea internet cables
Ch 5 · Geopolitics, tech giants, and the future
steve Turn the deep sea dial to discover how undersea cables connect the global internet.
steve Undersea Internet Cables
Deep in the sea, the fiber lines run! (oh-oh, yeah!) / Carrying the world to everyone! (all online!)
steve Climate change is opening new Arctic shipping routes, allowing companies to lay shorter cables between Europe and Asia.
steve Narrow sea passages like the Red Sea and the Strait of Malacca contain dense clusters of cables, creating risky choke points.
Fun Fact
Cable vs Satellite: Undersea cables carry over 95% of all international data traffic, while satellites handle only a tiny fraction of global communications.
Glossary
submarine cable (noun)
A transmission line laid on the seabed to carry telecommunication signals across bodies of water. In 2024, Google and Meta funded the 12,000-kilometer Apricot link connecting Japan, Singapore, and Guam.
A transmission line laid on the seabed to carry telecommunication signals across bodies of water. In 2024, Google and Meta funded the 12,000-kilometer Apricot link connecting Japan, Singapore, and Guam.
Quiz
Which narrow body of water is a major geopolitical choke point containing over 15 critical undersea cables?
Quiz
Why is a high density of cables in a single narrow strait considered a major security risk?
Quiz
Which group of companies has recently become the primary investors and owners of new undersea cables?
Quiz
What percentage of all transoceanic internet traffic is carried by undersea cables compared to satellites?
Quiz
Which of the following tech giants co-owns the "Dunant" transatlantic cable, which landed in 2020?
Quiz
What is the main advantage of undersea fiber-optic cables over satellite networks like Starlink?