Submarine Telecoms Forum, Inc.’s Post

Subsea cables connect continents, forming a major component of the thing we call the internet. Ensuring that these cables are functional and secure is paramount. Making subsea cables SMART can help secure this vital infrastructure. In particular, SMART cables can serve as an espionage early warning system. Should a segment of a SMART cable be fully cut, the location of the breach would be immediately identifiable. Even more helpful: We might not have to wait until a cable is fully cut. Instead, it's possible that seismic sensors in each SMART cable segment could detect any nefarious activity in real time #SMART #SubseaCables #Cables

U.S. officials are issuing warnings to telecommunications companies about potential tampering risks posed by Chinese repair ships to undersea cables that carry internet traffic across the Pacific Ocean. The state-controlled Chinese company, S.B. Submarine Systems (SBSS), has been observed hiding its vessels' locations from radio and satellite tracking systems, raising security concerns. The integrity of undersea fiberoptic cables, partly owned by companies such as Google and Meta Platforms, is at risk. These cables are maintained by specialized construction and repair firms,some with foreign ownership, posing a threat to both commercial and military data security. This focus on Chinese repair ships aligns with the Biden administration's broader strategy to address China's maritime activities in the western Pacific. Beijing has been targeting communication and technological infrastructure, potentially in preparation for conflicts over Taiwan or other regional flashpoints. Senior administration officials have been briefed on the risks posed by Chinese companies, including SBSS, which has a history of disabling its transponders at sea—a practice noted by industry standards as unusual. While some explanations suggest these gaps in location data may result from spotty satellite coverage, the consistent lack of transparency remains a concern. The security of undersea cables relies on operations conducted transparently and safely by trusted entities. #Subsea #Fiber #Optics #Cables #Telecommunications #NationalSecurity

The ITU Advisory Body On submarine Cable Resilience is welcome. ITU/WMO/UNESCO-IOC SMART Cables (Science Monitoring And Reliable Telecommunications- integrating sensors into the cables) is one term in the cable resilience equation. #smartcables

UN, ITU Launch Body to Boost Submarine Cable Resilience The UN and ITU establish a global advisory body to strengthen submarine cable resilience, addressing rising outages and repair needs. #itu #resilience #security #submarinecable #telecoms #un https://lnkd.in/gNa92eV9

Submarine cables. Not that exciting, and most people aren't aware of their existence. Yet 99% of all Internet traffic is carried over them, connecting islands and continents with thousands of touch points. Check out the mind-boggling scale here: https://lnkd.in/eKRsPnXC There are 150-200 faults occur on these cables a year. 3 undersea repairs are needed a week. Sabotage and intentional damage is an ongoing and increasing threat of to the universal service we call internet connectivity. So I want to say Bravo and Thank You to everyone involved in laying and maintaining them, and, to the ITU and ICPC for announcing the cable resilience advisory board, focused on ensuring the ongoing availability of this crucial, globally shared infrastructure. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/e8nc5tiK

This is a very real and important issue to really focus on. States must really find ways to protect these submarine cables or find redundancy solutions to ensure communication resiliency in the event of any disaster situation : whether natural or human-induced. In a highly digitized global network that lives and economies depend on, coupled with the increasing geopolitical tension especially in the Indo-Pacific region, securing our communication networks is a must.

https://lnkd.in/dZ7TQDKC Digital Sovereignty: Securing India’s Submarine Cables As India’s submarine cable infrastructure continues to expand, addressing the challenges of repair capacity, landing station diversification, and domestic cable connectivity is critical for promoting digital resilience.   By Samuel Bashfield December 26, 2024

Our labour of love - a policy report entitled "Enhancing the Security of Singapore’s Submarine Cables: Strengths, Challenges and Opportunities" - has just been published. Submarine cables carry over 99% of the world's international telecommunications traffic. They are therefore necessary for connectivity and play a pivotal role in economic stability and national security. This report highlights the importance of securing submarine cables and its associated infrastructure for two key reasons: (i) the significance of Singapore’s role as a hub for communications for other regions, and (ii) the political, economic, and security ramifications should there be a disruption of communications via submarine cables.   My co-authors, distinguished law professors at NUS Centre for International Law Professor Tara Davenport and Professor Robert Beckman, and I make several recommendations for Singapore including: a) explicitly designating submarine cables as critical infrastructure b) considering implementing Article 113 of UNCLOS in her national legislation c) enhancing public-private partnerships d) taking the lead in driving regional cooperation on this issue With thanks to TeleGeography for the Singapore Submarine Cable Map. #RSIS #submarinecables #underseacables #criticalinfrastructure #UNCLOS RSIS | S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies

The new report "Enhancing the Security of Singapore’s Submarine Cables: Strengths, Challenges and Opportunities" by Prof Robert C. Beckman (NUS CIL), Asha Hemrajani 夏芍婷 (CENS/RSIS), Tara Davenport (NUS CIL) and Sean Tan (CENS/RSIS) has just been published. This policy report examines Singapore’s approach to safeguarding submarine cables to mitigate potential damages or interference that may disrupt communications. It first highlights the strengths of Singapore’s current approaches and strategies to protecting this critical infrastructure. The subsequent section offers recommendations regarding specific measures that Singapore could undertake to bolster the security of submarine cables. These include strengthening criminal penalties for damage to submarine cables, explicitly designating submarine cables as critical infrastructure, enhancing cooperation and coordination between relevant government agencies, enhancing public-private partnerships, and taking the lead in driving regional cooperation on this issue.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the ICPC | International Cable Protection Committee have joined forces to create a new advisory group focused on protecting submarine cables.