The report from the Inaugural Valentia Island Symposium on Subsea Cable Security and Resilience, held from October 10-12, 2024, was launched at the European Maritime Day Event in Cork City. This unique Symposium brought together Irish and international experts from industry, academia, and government to address critical issues related to submarine telecommunications cables. Hosted at the historic Valentia Island Transatlantic Cable Station, a symbol of global communication and innovation, the Symposium provided a unique setting to reflect on the historical, political, social, economic, and technological dimensions of subsea cable security and resilience.
Subsea Cable Security and Resilience
Growing digital dependencies as well as recent geopolitical tensions and the concurrent climate crisis have placed the topic of critical infrastructure protection at the top of policy, industry and research agendas. This includes subsea telecommunications cables, across which over 99 percent of transcontinental data traffic transits and upon which countries across the globe increasingly rely as they continue to digitally transform their economies and societies
The report describes several recurring themes central to the discussion on subsea cable security and resilience including;
- Geopolitical tensions affecting the subsea cable ecosystem.
- The need for public-private engagement at sea and on land as the subsea cable industry owns and operates most cable systems, while at the same time, governments are responsible for national security and the delivery of essential services.
- The critical role of technology in both public and private efforts to ensure the resilience and security of subsea cables systems.
The Valentia Transatlantic Cable Foundation was proud to host this not-for-profit event at the place from where the first transatlantic cable was laid over 150 years ago. The event was run in collaboration with a team of Irish and international researchers as well as global industry actors, and with the generous support of AquaComms, Ireland’s Departments of Foreign Affairs and Defence, the IDA, Aurora, Philip Lee, Analysys Mason and the European Subsea Cables Association (ESCA).
Over three days of presentations, thematic panels and side events, recognized experts in the field examined historical continuities and discontinuities in key security and resilience questions; how security and resilience come together in national policy; current policy and practice in identifying and responding to subsea cable-related incidents; how industry and government are adapting to the current geopolitical environment; core characteristics of the cable repair eco-system and related challenges; technology’s contribution to security and resilience of the systems; and current and future policy and regulatory issues.
Several recurring themes central to the discussion on subsea cable security and resilience are evident. Principle among them is the growing complexity of the regulatory environment at a time when, for both resilience and security purposes, regulation needs to be more streamlined and predictable, attuned to shifting cable ownership models, as well as better coordinated and harmonised across connected countries, while also meeting one of its primary aims, which is to prevent and mitigate risks that could negatively impact individuals, communities, or entire societies. Many governments are working towards these goals within a broader framework of critical infrastructure protection.
Second, as in the past, geopolitical tensions affect the subsea cable ecosystem. They influence the geographies of the physical network and spill over into regulation and an ever-broadening number of policy areas, at national, regional and international levels. Ensuring the availability of the systems and of fleets and supply chains is a concern of both industry and government. It requires various modes of public-private engagement at sea and on land and should be a priority.
Third, the subsea cable industry owns and operates most cable systems. Owners and operators are expected to ensure resilience across a cable system’s life cycle. At the same time, governments are responsible for national security and have a duty to their citizens to ensure delivery of essential services and functions. Public-private engagement is key for reaching common understandings on how these different but often overlapping duties can be met whether in peacetime, in crisis or in conflict.
Fourth, technology plays a critical role in both public and private efforts to ensure the resilience and security of subsea cables systems. Technologies such as Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) offer significant advantages for environmental monitoring, disaster early warning and for more defense-related situational awareness, particularly when combined with other technologies. Legal and regulatory questions regarding their use within and beyond national jurisdictions need to be addressed, including how they may be qualified in the event of hostilities and what this would mean for cable operators.
Lastly, the Symposium shed light on the temporality and spatiality of many of the subsea cable resilience issues discussed over the three days. Temporal aspects include the lengthy history of submarine transmission technologies, response times for repairs, aging repair assets and workforce and the longevity of the infrastructure. Spatial aspects include jurisdictional questions relevant to addressing cable damage, the monitoring range of technologies such as DAS, the intensifying competition for the use of the seabed and the marine space. This “spatial squeeze” also has its geopolitical underpinnings, as do a growing number of other cable related matters.
These and many other issues discussed require sustained attention over the coming years. Hosting them at venues such as the Valentia Island Telegraph Station remind us of our shared heritage as well as the importance of history when addressing the problems of today.
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