Subsea Internet Cable

The Digital Infrastructure Connecting Global Communities

Abstract

Subsea internet cables are the physical backbone of global digital connectivity, carrying more than 99% of intercontinental data traffic, although their physical numbers are relatively limited and most of their holdings are concentrated in a handful of consortiums and giant technology companies. This article reviews the role of subsea cable in supporting the digital transformation of global society, the accompanying geopolitical and security challenges in the wake of increasing incidents of sabotage and cable breakdowns, and its impact on the digital divide between countries. The study was conducted through a review of the narrative literature on academic research and recent think-tank reports on the governance, security, and economics of submarine cable infrastructure. The results of the review show that the three approaches that have dominated the discourse, namely the technical-infrastructural approach, national security, and economic development, each have both contributions and limitations, and are rarely studied in an integrated manner. This article concludes that a more holistic governance framework is needed, which balances technical, security, and equitable digital access considerations from the planning stage, so that the benefits of subsea cable connectivity can be felt equally by the global community, including archipelagic countries such as Indonesia.