The undersea internet cables

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 3 · How to lay a cable across an ocean

steve

steve Plowing the seabed with underwater robots

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Wiring the Waves

steve Wiring the Waves

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steve The massive ships that spool the internet

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steve Mapping the mountains of the deep sea

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steve The delicate art of splicing glass at sea

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steve Undersea Cable Laying

Deep on the ocean floor, as thin as a garden hose, A flash of laser light is where the whole internet flows.

steve

Plowing the seabed with underwater robots

steve Plowing the seabed with underwater robots

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Fun Fact

Cable weight: A fully loaded cable-laying ship can carry thousands of miles of cable, weighing as much as 15 fully loaded commercial airplanes.

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The massive ships that spool the internet

steve The massive ships that spool the internet

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Quiz

What technology do cable-laying companies use to map the ocean floor before laying cables?

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Gossip

Would you work on a cable ship for months?

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Quiz

What is the name of the process where two fiber-optic glass strands are melted together?

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Quiz

How is cable typically stored inside a specialized cable-laying vessel?

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Quiz

Which underwater geological features do cable route planners actively try to avoid?

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Quiz

How do cable-laying ships prevent cables from snapping under their own weight as they sink to the ocean floor?

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Quiz

What tool is used to bury cables in shallow waters to protect them from boat anchors?

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Quiz

Why are undersea cables generally laid in straight lines but with extra slack?

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Quiz

How deep can underwater cable-laying plows bury a cable into the seabed?