Exploring the Hidden Backbone of the Internet

Thin underwater cables hold the internet. See a map of them all.

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Summary

The internet may seem like it's floating in the cloud, but it's actually supported by around 300 undersea fiber optic cables that account for 99% of international data traffic. These cables stretch across oceans, vulnerable to natural events like earthquakes and curious marine life, yet they remain a vital part of global connectivity. Originally inspired by electric telegraphs in the 1800s and coated with protective materials, these cables continue to evolve while forming a crucial, globe-spanning network. Future technologies like satellite internet are emerging, but for now, these underwater connections remain the fastest way to travel data across the world.

Highlights

Undersea cables make up 99% of international data traffic. 🌐
These cables are surprisingly thin and protected with petroleum jelly. 🧴
Sharks and earthquakes sometimes damage these crucial data pipelines. 🦈
The concept dates back to 157 years with early experiments on land. 🌍
Companies continue to invest in undersea cables despite emerging tech. 💼

Key Takeaways

The internet largely relies on about 300 undersea cables, not clouds! 🌊
These cables are as thin as a soda can and are coated in petroleum jelly. 🥤
They've been connecting the world for 157 years, originally inspired by electric telegraphs. 🔌
Despite threats from nature, these cables are the fastest way for global data travel. ⏱️
New technologies like satellites and balloons are emerging but aren't as speedy as cables. 🛰️

Overview

When people talk about the internet being in 'the cloud,' they might be surprised to learn that it's more accurate to say it's deep in the ocean. Approximately 300 undersea fiber optic cables are what truly make the internet global, handling 99% of international data traffic. These cables are built to withstand the pressures of the deep sea, encountering curious creatures and natural disasters alike, yet they persist as the backbone of our digital world.

Historically, the concept of these underwater connections started over 150 years ago. Inspired by early electric telegraphs, the idea was to stretch communication lines across the globe, initially protected by exotic tree saps and later by modern materials like petroleum jelly. Despite early mishaps, such as breakages from fishing boats, these cables have expanded to form a comprehensive network encircling the planet, with technology that's evolved but maintained its core purpose—connectivity.

Despite the rise of newer technologies aiming to take the internet to the skies, such as satellites and high-altitude balloons, undersea cables remain the fastest and most reliable method for international data exchange. Major companies like Facebook and Google continue to invest in these submerged superhighways to ensure the speed and reliability of global internet access, affirming that while the cloud might be future-forward, the ocean floor is where the internet truly thrives.

Chapters

00:00 - 00:30: Introduction to Undersea Cables The chapter titled 'Introduction to Undersea Cables' explains that despite popular belief about the internet being 'in the cloud,' it is, in fact, in the ocean. About 300 undersea fiber optic cables handle 99% of international data traffic, similar to land connections but underwater. These cables enable various activities from streaming content across continents to facilitating international financial transactions. They are placed by private companies and serve as the internet's backbone.
00:30 - 01:00: Composition and Vulnerability of Cables The chapter titled 'Composition and Vulnerability of Cables' discusses the physical characteristics and potential risks to submarine cables. The cables, no larger than a soda can, have several layers of protection against water which include petroleum jelly. These cables, however, are susceptible to natural disturbances like earthquakes and curious attacks from sea creatures such as sharks. Despite these vulnerabilities, many cables are laid at extreme ocean depths, equivalent to the height of Mount Everest, and are installed on the ocean floor using specialized ships and equipment.
01:00 - 01:30: Installation and Historical Context This chapter explains how the process of laying cables under the ocean's current, which naturally buries them with sand, has enabled the Internet to become a truly global network. Despite its cutting-edge nature, this concept has been in practice for 157 years, as electric telegraphs have existed for a long time.
01:30 - 02:00: Development of Submarine Cables The chapter discusses the development of submarine cables. It starts with the early 1800s experiments where people connected two ends of a garden and then advanced to connecting two neighborhoods for train signaling. As the technology evolved, it expanded to multiple cities, aided by the railroad networks. The chapter describes how underwater 'submarine cables' became the next logical step. Early cable experiments involved coating them with exotic tree sap for water protection instead of using petroleum jelly. The chapter hints at the challenges faced, such as one of the first undersea cables getting disrupted.
02:00 - 02:30: Global Reach and Alternatives The chapter discusses the historical development and global expansion of undersea communication cables, starting with the first commission by a fishing boat in 1858. These cables form a network that spans the earth's oceans, connecting the world with high-speed communication. The chapter also explores emerging alternatives to undersea cables, such as internet delivery from cell phone towers, Facebook satellites aimed at Africa, and Google's internet balloons, which provide above-sea-level connectivity solutions.
02:30 - 03:00: Current Importance of Undersea Cables Undersea cables continue to be critically important for speedy international data transmission. Major tech companies, such as Facebook and Google, invest heavily in these undersea infrastructures because, despite advances in other technologies, the most effective way to build and maintain the cloud currently involves undersea cables.

Thin underwater cables hold the internet. See a map of them all. Transcription

00:00 - 00:30 We never stop hearing about how the internet's in the cloud. But really, it's in the ocean. About 300 undersea fiber optic cables are responsible for 99% of international data traffic. It's basically the same way we connect to each other in a single country, except under water instead of underground. They transmit PewDiePie from Europe to America and they connect stock traders in New York and London. And these cables, placed by private companies, are the backbone of the internet, but if you
00:30 - 01:00 held one in your hand it'd be no bigger than a soda can. There are just a few layers of protection from the water, including petroleum jelly (yes, your internet is covered in Vaseline). They're vulnerable to earthquakes, at least a few times, confused sharks have bitten them. But many cables are beneath sea life, because in some places they go as deep underwater as Mount Everest is high. Ships lower a plow that digs a tiny groove in the ocean floor, lay in the cable, and
01:00 - 01:30 it's naturally buried by sand, thanks to the ocean's current. And that process -- it's both stunningly simple and mindblowingly complex -- is responsible for making the internet a truly global network. It's an idea so audacious and crazy, and you think that it has to be cutting edge. And it is. But it's also been going on for 157 years. Electric telegraphs have been around for a long, long time.
01:30 - 02:00 Experiments in the early 1800s connected two ends of a garden, using a clock that revealed letters, then they moved on to two neighborhoods, to help signal trains, and then multiple cities, thanks to the network of railroad lines. Underwater "submarine cables" were an obvious next step. So they played around. Instead of petroleum jelly, the first ones were coated with exotic tree sap to protect them from the water. And though the undersea cables came in spurts -- one of the first ones was knocked out of
02:00 - 02:30 commission by a fishing boat -- and by 1858 they reached around the Atlantic and across the world. And that's how it's kind of gone since, laying cables that circle the earth's oceans. The cables are unwound from the back of a ship, sink to the ocean floor, and the world is connected in speeds measured in milliseconds. There are ideas to bring the internet above sea level. Along with cell phone towers, there's internet beamed from Facebook satellites to Africa and balloons lifted by Google.
02:30 - 03:00 But for speedy international travel, undersea cables are still where companies like Facebook and Google place their bets. That's because the best way to create the cloud is still by going under the sea.