Recent proposal by Iranian state media to impose charges on undersea cable operators in the Strait of Hormuz highlights the growing vulnerability of global undersea cables.
Undersea Cables
- Undersea, or submarine, cables are fibre optic lines laid on the ocean floor to carry global data and serve as the backbone of modern digital connectivity.
- These "invisible highways" transmit between 95% and 99% of all international data traffic.
- United Nations General. Assembly (UNGA) in 2010 had described Submarine cable as “critical communication infrastructure”.
- Subsea cables carry a much larger bandwidth and are more efficient, cost-effective, and reliable than satellites.
- Narrow maritime corridors such as the Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz, where multiple undersea cables converge, are often referred to as “digital chokepoints.”
Threats to the Undersea Cables Network
- State-sponsored Intervention: The IRGC proposed licensing fees and annual "protection" payments from tech giants (Meta, Amazon, Microsoft).
- Gray-zone warfare: Increasingly weaponised in hybrid conflict.
- Espionage & Cyber Threats: State-sponsored wiretapping for intelligence gathering and attacks on network management systems.
Implications for India
- Financial Sector: E.g., Stock trading and banking systems relying on fast connectivity could face paralysis within minutes.
- IT and Outsourcing Sector: E.g., India’s IT-BPM industry relies on uninterrupted global connectivity for providing services to international clients.
- Strategic and National Security Risks: E.g., Military communications and intelligence sharing
