Protecting hidden infrastructure: The security politics of the global submarine data cable network

TLDR

Undersea fiber‑optic cables carry 99 % of transoceanic digital traffic and form the core critical infrastructure of the digital age, yet scholarly attention remains limited to narrow threat, technical, or regulatory perspectives. The authors contend that securing submarine cables is a fundamental aspect of contemporary and future international security governance. They conduct the first systematic survey of academic discourses on the politics, governance, and protection of submarine cables. The study shows that the research agenda must be broadened to address security governance and geopolitical questions surrounding this critical infrastructure.

Abstract

Undersea communication cables are the core critical infrastructure of the digital age. 99% of all transoceanic digital communication—financial transactions, emails, or voice messaging—is transported through undersea fiber-optic cables. The global submarine cable network is a critical infrastructure that does not receive the analytical attention it deserves. We argue that cable security is a core dimension of current and future international security governance. We present the first systematic survey of the academic discourses that investigate the politics, governance, and protection of submarine data cables. Three rather narrow literatures study the cables (1) as under threat from hybrid warfare and terrorism, or treat the cable network narrowly as a (2) technical or (3) regulatory problem. We demonstrate the need for broadening out the research agenda and addressing key questions of security governance and geopolitics of this increasingly critical infrastructure.