NEWS: Recent proposal by Iranian state media to impose charges on undersea cable operators in the Strait of Hormuzà highlights the growing vulnerability of global undersea cables.

Undersea Cables

·         Fiber 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 cablesà 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 Interventionà The IRGC proposed licensing fees and annual "protection" payments from tech giants (Meta, Amazon, Microsoft).

·         Gray-zone warfareà Increasingly weaponised in hybrid conflict.

·         Espionage & Cyber Threatsà State-sponsored wiretapping for intelligence gathering and attacks on network management systems.

Implications for India

·         Financial Sectorà E.g., Stock trading and banking systems relying on fast connectivity could face paralysis within minutes.

·         IT and Outsourcing Sectorà E.g., India’s IT-BPM industry relies on uninterrupted global connectivity for providing services to international clients.

Strategic and National Security Riskà E.g., Military communications and intelligence sharing