THREAT TO INTERNET
Cables close to shore will likely be at a highest risk. However, it’s difficult to say this definitively until we do the work.
– PAUL BARFORD computer scientist at the University of Wisconsin
Cables close to the sea level are high-risk category. This means that a slight increase in the sea level would submerge them.
Most of the cables were laid in the past two-three decades, without considering that sea levels might rise.
According to the study, damage that’s going to be done in the next 100 years will be done sooner than later.
There are about 10 submarine cable landing stations in India and the country is connected to the world at Mumbai, Cochin, Chennai and Tuticorin.
One of the justifications offered for Data Localisation by Justice Sri Krishna Committee is that cross-border transfer of data is vulnerable via undersea cables. It notes that the sabotage of these could lead to economic turmoil and civil disorder.
Most of the communication happens through cables while the rest of it is through satellite communication.
Telecos including BSNL, Bharati Airtel and TCS have signed up for creating submarine cables over the past one month.
BSNL had given the contract to NEC Technologies, India to build an optical submarine cable system between Chennai and Andaman & Nicobar.
Airtel partnered with Telecom Egypt which gives Airtel the right to use fiber pairs of MENA Cable from Egypt to India with access to Saudi Arabia and Oman.