This is a map of the world and the locations of the world’s underwater cables.
The submarine cable map’s creator, TeleGeography, notes that there are over 400 active undersea cables, with a total distance of about 1.2 kilometers. This number changes whenever new cables are added and older ones go out of service. The lines indicated in the map are only “stylized” or estimated paths.
These cables covered in different layers that are thick enough to protect the fiber optic cables that transmit data. The cables are also located on the ocean floor, but strategically enough so that they aren’t placed in dangerous areas that include zones for fishing and fault lines.
Even with safeguards in place, cable lines are prone to breakage due to different factors. Despite that, contingency plans are in place, including a “safety in numbers” strategy, where networks will still operate well even if at least one cable accidentally goes out.
Curious about how submarine cables work? Explore them further through these reads:
- Submarine Optical Cable Engineering
- Submarine Cable Almanac
- Submarine Power Cables: Design, Installation, Repair, Environmental Aspects (Power Systems)
- The Undersea Network (Sign, Storage, Transmission)
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