In the wake of a massive volcanic eruption in Tonga at the start of 2022, the country experienced a communication blackout due to severed internet connectivity. The eruption, which was 1,000 times more powerful than the bomb that hit Hiroshima, sent tsunami waves across the archipelago and covered the island in ash. Weeks later, when the undersea cable providing internet was restored, the extent of the disruption became apparent.
The incident highlighted the vulnerabilities of the infrastructure supporting the internet, revealing that modern life is heavily dependent on operational internet. Nearly all internet traffic, from Zoom calls to movie streams, travels through high-speed fiber optics laid on the ocean floor. This network of cables, stretching almost 1.5 million km across the globe, is vital to the functioning of the modern world.
Concerns about the security of undersea cables have been raised, with reports of potential espionage and sabotage by countries like Russia and China. Accidental incidents like ship anchors and fishing pose a greater threat to the network than deliberate attacks. The unequal distribution of undersea cables, with some areas having high connectivity and others lacking, has also been highlighted as a risk to global internet infrastructure.
The recent internet outages in Tonga have spurred governments and tech companies to address vulnerabilities in the undersea cable network. While there are warnings of potential future disruptions, particularly in less connected regions, efforts to create more resilient networks are ongoing to ensure digital equity and access for all.
Source
Photo credit www.theguardian.com