If the internet is primarily dependent on cables that run through oceans connecting different countries and continents. During a war, anyone can cut off a country’s access to the internet. Are there any backup or mitigant in place to avoid this? What happens if you cut the cable?

Question

If the internet is primarily dependent on cables that run through oceans connecting different countries and continents. During a war, anyone can cut off a country’s access to the internet. Are there any backup or mitigant in place to avoid this? What happens if you cut the cable?

In: Technology

Answer 1

There isn’t just one cable there are lots of them and the information can be rerouted around any damaged sections. In the relatively early days of the internet lots of the cables ran directly under the twin towers. The fall of the towers added to the dramatic increase in the amount of traffic as people wanted to know what was going on brought the internet to a near standstill. Since then there are a lot more cables and redundancy built in to the system.