Over 500 underwater cables span over 870,000 miles worldwide, serving as the foundation of the modern global internet. Despite their critical role in facilitating communication, these cables often go unnoticed, even as the amount of data transmitted through them has surged. So what happens if the cables fail?
Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan contends that the stability and security of the global internet are at risk due to the precarious state of these cable systems. However, Zeihan argues that this vulnerability could also present opportunities for positive change.
Excerpted from Peter’s April 22 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:
This is probably the scariest video I’ve posted for any of my Gen Z audience… that’s right, we’re talking about the one thing they can’t live without – the internet. So, just how vulnerable is the global internet?
Global internet connectivity is heavily reliant on trans-oceanic cables (sure, we have things like Starlink, but that has limited capacity to the traditional cable systems). These cable systems are fragmented and sequestered in nature, which create isolated regions. This means that there are specific points of vulnerability.
The bigger problem is that the locations of these cables isn’t all that hidden, so a group like the Houthis could target them with ease. However, the fragility of international connectivity can also be seen as a strategic advantage, because the U.S. could cut communication channels at the drop of a hat… should they ever need to.