GS 3: Infrastructure
Context: Submarine cables have emerged as a new arena of geopolitical competition, as they carry nearly 99% of global internet traffic and form the backbone of the global digital economy.
Growing geopolitical tensions in regions such as the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz have highlighted the vulnerability of these undersea communication networks.
The discussion has shifted from the geopolitics of oil and energy to the geopolitics of digital infrastructure.
What are Submarine Cables?
- Submarine cables are fibre-optic communication cables laid on the seabed to transmit internet, voice, financial transactions, and cloud data across continents.
- These cables connect countries through a high-speed communication network and support almost the entire global digital ecosystem.
- Contrary to popular belief, satellites carry only a small fraction of global internet traffic, while submarine cables transmit approximately 99% of international data.
- They serve as the digital nervous system of the global economy, enabling banking, e-commerce, digital payments, cloud computing, and international communications.
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Strategic Importance of Submarine Cables
- Global financial systems depend on uninterrupted submarine cable connectivity for real-time banking transactions and international financial settlements.
- Cloud computing services rely on these cables to facilitate rapid data transfers between global data centres.
- Digital payment platforms such as UPI require secure international communication infrastructure for cross-border transactions.
- Governments, defence establishments, and businesses depend on submarine cables for secure communication and data exchange.
- Any disruption in submarine cable connectivity can significantly affect national security, economic stability, and digital governance.
Major Global Submarine Cable Systems
- 2Africa Cable is one of the world’s largest submarine cable projects, spanning approximately 45,000 km with a capacity of around 180 Tbps, connecting Africa, Europe, and Asia.
- Several strategically important cable systems pass through the Strait of Hormuz, including:
- AAE-1 (Asia-Africa-Europe-1)
- Falcon
- GBI
- TGN-Gulf
- These cables facilitate digital connectivity between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Strategic Chokepoints and Emerging Risks
Red Sea
- The Red Sea serves as one of the world’s most critical digital chokepoints, with nearly ten major submarine cables passing through this narrow maritime corridor.
- These cables connect South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East with Europe.
Strait of Hormuz
- The Strait of Hormuz is another vital chokepoint through which multiple submarine cable systems pass.
- Regional instability or armed conflict in this area can threaten global digital connectivity.
Potential Risks
- Naval conflicts, ship anchors, explosions, natural disasters, or sabotage can damage submarine cables.
- Cable disruptions may lead to:
- Internet outages
- Banking disruptions
- Cloud service failures
- Communication breakdowns
- Economic paralysis in affected regions.
Ownership Pattern of Submarine Cables
Consortium-Based Ownership
- No single organisation owns the global internet infrastructure.
- Around 470 distinct entities jointly own submarine cable systems through international consortia.
- This collaborative model distributes financial costs and operational responsibilities among multiple stakeholders.
Traditional Stakeholders
- Historically, ownership was dominated by telecommunication companies, including:
- Orange
- British Telecom
- Vodafone
- Telstra
- Tata Communications
- These companies invested in multiple international cable systems to support global telecommunications.
Rise of Hyperscalers
- Large technology companies, known as hyperscalers, are increasingly investing directly in submarine cable infrastructure.
- Major hyperscalers include:
- These companies seek greater network reliability, operational independence, and control over global cloud services.
- For example:
- Google has ownership stakes in approximately 34 cable systems.
- Meta participates in nearly 19 cable systems.
Digital Sovereignty and Geopolitics
- In the digital era, national sovereignty extends beyond territorial borders to include control over digital infrastructure.
- Countries increasingly view submarine cable ownership as a component of strategic autonomy.
- Greater ownership enhances:
- Data security
- Strategic resilience
- Supply chain reliability
- Digital independence
- The emerging geopolitical reality is that control over digital networks increasingly translates into strategic influence.
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Challenges in Repair and Maintenance
Complex Repair Operations
- Repairing submarine cables is technically demanding because cables are located thousands of metres below sea level.
- Specialized equipment and highly trained personnel are required for underwater operations.
Frequent Cable Faults
- Around 150–200 submarine cable faults occur globally every year.
- The average repair time is approximately 55 days, although complex repairs can take much longer.
Limited Repair Capacity
- Only around 63 specialised cable repair ships operate worldwide.
- These vessels require advanced technology and highly skilled crews.
- Limited repair capacity can delay restoration during multiple simultaneous disruptions.
Example
- Repair of the AAE-1 cable between Vietnam and Singapore reportedly required nearly 177 days, demonstrating the complexity of submarine cable restoration.
International Cooperation in Cable Repair
- Countries participate in regional maintenance agreements to share repair resources.
- India is part of the South East Asia and Indian Ocean Cable Maintenance Agreement (SEAIOCMA).
- While this cooperative model functions effectively during peacetime, geopolitical conflicts may delay repair assistance due to competing national priorities.
Measuring Cable Security
Ownership Index
- The Ownership Index measures a country’s level of control over submarine cable infrastructure based on its ownership share and cable capacity.
- A higher ownership score reflects greater strategic control over digital infrastructure.
Repair Index
- The Repair Index evaluates whether countries possess sufficient repair vessels and whether those repair partners are geopolitically aligned.
- Countries with stronger repair capabilities enjoy greater resilience against cable disruptions.
Implications for India
- India’s rapidly expanding digital economy depends heavily on secure and resilient submarine cable connectivity.
- Growth in Digital India, UPI, cloud computing, AI, and data centres will increase dependence on undersea communication infrastructure.
- India’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) provides opportunities to become a regional digital connectivity hub.
- However, dependence on foreign-owned infrastructure poses risks to national security and digital sovereignty.
Way Forward
- Promote Indian Ownership: Indian companies such as Tata Communications, Reliance Jio, and Bharti Airtel should increase their participation in international submarine cable consortia.
- Develop Indigenous Repair Capability: India should establish its own fleet of specialised cable repair vessels to reduce dependence on foreign operators.
- Strengthen Strategic Redundancy: Multiple cable routes should be developed to avoid excessive dependence on a limited number of maritime chokepoints.
- Create Emergency Cable Reserves: Strategic stocks of submarine cable spares should be maintained at coastal logistics centres for rapid deployment during emergencies.
- Enhance Maritime Security: India should strengthen surveillance of critical undersea infrastructure through the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and maritime domain awareness initiatives.
- Expand International Cooperation: India should deepen cooperation through Quad, IORA, and other Indo-Pacific partnerships to improve the protection of undersea digital infrastructure.
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Conclusion
- Submarine cables have become the critical infrastructure of the digital age, comparable to oil pipelines in the industrial era.
- Future geopolitical competition will increasingly focus on securing digital connectivity, data sovereignty, and critical communication infrastructure.
- For India, strengthening ownership, repair capability, and strategic resilience will be essential to achieving the vision of a secure, trusted, and self-reliant digital economy.
11 Jul 2026
