About this video

• Video Title: How A Million Miles Of Undersea Cables Power The Internet — And Now AI
• Channel: CNBC
• Speakers: Not explicitly listed, but includes CNBC correspondent and representatives from Alcatel Submarine Networks, Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Recorded Future.
• Duration: 00:22:12

Overview

This video explores the critical role of undersea cables in powering the internet and supporting the growth of AI. It details how these cables are manufactured, laid, and maintained, the increasing demand driven by tech giants and AI, and the security concerns surrounding this vital infrastructure, including accidental damage and potential sabotage.

Key takeaways

• Undersea Superhighway: Over 95% of international internet traffic, carrying trillions of dollars in daily economic transactions, travels through nearly a million miles of undersea cables, many no larger than a garden hose.
• AI's Growing Demand: The rise of AI and data centers is significantly increasing the demand for subsea infrastructure to ensure global connectivity.
• Manufacturing and Technology: Subsea cables, evolving from telegraph to fiber optic technology, are manufactured by a few key companies like Alcatel Submarine Networks. They utilize optical fibers transmitting light pulses, with repeaters installed every 50-62 miles to maintain signal strength.
• Installation and Protection: Cables are laid on the ocean floor, often buried and armored in shallower waters to protect against damage from fishing activity and anchoring, while lighter versions are used in deeper areas.
• Security Threats: While most cable disruptions are accidental (fishing, anchoring), there's a growing concern about sabotage and "gray zone tactics" by state actors, particularly in geopolitically sensitive regions.
• Industry Investment and Regulation: Tech giants are heavily investing in new cable projects, while governments are implementing tighter regulations and security measures, like NATO's Baltic Sentry, to protect this critical infrastructure.
• Monitoring and Protection: New technologies like Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) are being developed to monitor subsea cables and detect potential threats, complementing multi-layered security approaches.