Context: 

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued recommendations on rules for undersea cables connecting Indian telecom networks to the global Internet. 

Key Suggestions:

• Ownership Proof: Indian telecom companies operating undersea cables should prove ownership of the cables in Indian waters.
• Cable Landing Stations vs. Points of Presence (PoPs): Differentiate between cable landing stations and Points of Presence (PoPs), simplifying regulatory processes for PoPs.
• Dark Fibre and Stubs: Permit the use of dark fibre on existing cable landing stations and allow the installation of stubs for future expansion.
• Financial Viability for Repair Vessels: Explore financial models for Indian flagged ships to handle undersea cable repairs.
• Critical Information Infrastructure Status: Designate undersea cables as critical information infrastructure for enhanced protection by NCIIPC.

What are Undersea Cables?

• A submarine communications cable or undersea cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea. 
• The first submarine communications cables laid beginning in the 1850s carried telegraphy traffic.
• Subsequent generations of cables carried telephone traffic, then data communications traffic. 
• These early cables used copper wires in their cores, but modern cables use optical fibre technology to carry digital data, which includes telephone, Internet and private data traffic.
• Today, there are around 380 underwater cables in operation around the world, spanning a length of over 1.2 million kilometres.

News Source: The Hindu