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The Subsea Fiber Optic Network
When we send an email or stream a video from across the globe, we often imagine the data travelling through satellites in space. In reality, the backbone of the global internet lies at the bottom of the ocean. More than a million kilometres of subsea fiber optic cables currently connect every continent except Antarctica.
The technology relies on transmitting data as pulses of light through strands of glass scarcely thicker than a human hair. What these delicate fibers require most is protection from the harsh marine environment. To achieve this, manufacturers encase them in layers of steel wire, copper tubing, and robust polymer sheathing.
Laying these cables across ocean basins is a complex maritime operation. Specialised cable-laying ships slowly traverse the sea, spooling the heavy line out from massive holds. Rarely does a vessel