- Undersea cables belong to telecom firms, large technology companies, and global groups. They keep the world connected.
- Who owns these cables matters for both money and politics. The control shapes how data moves across countries and it also touches on national security.
Undersea cables are the hidden base of global communication. They rest on the ocean floor and they make high-speed internet, phone calls, and large data flows possible across continents. The world depends on digital links and the control of these cables decides how information moves between countries. To know who owns them is to see the path of the internet and the shape of global data exchange.
Also read: What are subsea cables?
What are undersea cables?
They carry most internet traffic, voice calls, and digital data in the world. They are built to resist pressure, salt water, and rough seabed, and they can send data fast across long distances. Some stretch thousands of kilometres and they join one continent to another.
Cables are faster and more stable than satellites. They are less affected by storms or weather. They are the main way for international communication today.
Who owns undersea cables?
The owners are not one group. Telecom firms, private companies, and large technology players all invest in them. Many cables are held by global consortiums that bring in many partners. In some cases, one company runs a cable on its own. In other cases, several partners share the cost and the work.
Telecommunications companies
Large telecom providers own many parts of undersea cables. They use them to link data hubs in different countries.Telecom firms also take part in joint projects to widen coverage. One example is the SEA-ME-WE cable group that joins Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Western Europe. Many international telecom firms work together in this group and each one takes a share in laying and maintaining the cables.
Tech giants
Big technology firms such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft have put more money into undersea cables in recent years. These firms depend on quick data transfer for their services across the world. When they own cables, they gain more control of their systems and they cut the need to rely on other providers.
Google has made strong moves in this field. Its Grace Hopper cable that links the United States and the United Kingdom started service in 2022. With such projects, technology firms can keep their services like cloud computing and video streaming running at high speed and with little delay.
International consortiums
Most undersea cables are owned and run by consortiums. These are groups that include telecom firms, internet service providers, technology companies, and governments. They join to share the very high cost of building and keeping undersea cables. One example is the Africa-1 cable that links the Middle East and East Africa. It is owned by operators and technology firms like Telecom Egypt and du. The members add their resources and each one takes part in the work so the global network stays broad and strong.
Government-owned or supported cables
Some undersea cables are owned or funded by governments. This takes place when routes lead to key regions or touch on national security. Governments pay for cables so they can protect digital systems at home and keep steady links with other states. Governments also join with private firms so both sides reach their aims. Several African states have worked with large telecom firms and they have built new undersea cables that improve internet access.
How do undersea cables impact global connectivity?
Undersea cables are the base of world communication and of the digital economy. They carry internet traffic, online banking, e-commerce, social media, and other services. Their speed is measured in terabits each second. The biggest cables can move up to 200 terabits each second. Without them, much internet traffic would be slow or absent. Satellites give links in far places but they cannot take the same huge data load that cables can. Fibre-optic cables also have less delay so data moves faster and with fewer breaks. This is needed for real-time services like video calls and online games.
Also read: Undersea cables cut: Baltic tensions resurface
The economic and political importance of undersea cables
The role of undersea cables goes beyond technology and it brings strong economic and political effects. States and firms that hold main cable routes can shape global communications in major ways. When a state or firm owns cables that link large economic areas, it gains power in trade talks and in diplomatic affairs. The path of undersea cables also shapes political and security aims.
States may build cables that avoid some regions for safety, or they may send cables through allied countries. Cables that link main data hubs and cloud sites give the states where they land a high level of weight in global data exchange.
Also read: Undersea cables and global tensions: A geopolitical tug-of-war
Regulation of undersea cable
Undersea cable work is guided by rules from international bodies. The International Telecommunication Union and the International Maritime Organization set rules for safety and for the way cables are laid so they do not harm the sea and they meet treaty demands. Who can own or use a cable is mostly set by deals among the firms that pay for them, and there are few broad rules that stop one group from holding them. States may step in when national security is at risk, and this is true for cables that move sensitive data. Some states, for example, do not allow foreign groups to own cables that join with their main networks.
Future of undersea cable ownership
The way cables are owned is now changing. The need for more data is growing with the spread of 5G, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence, so new cable projects will rise. States, telecom firms, and technology giants will keep adding funds, and new groups may form to spread reach across more regions. Private firms may also meet more checks in time, mainly where national security is named as a risk. As the world adds more digital links, the question of who holds control of these cables will matter more, and it will raise new debates about data safety and privacy.
