Some questions I’ve wandered about that I’m not able to understand
1. How do they avoid data loss considering that the probability of interferance across such long distance is extremely high
2. How are those cables phisically supported, and built to be able to sustain damage by corrosion, abrasion, animals, tides, etc
3. Who builds them and how is it profitable
In: Engineering
1: Depends on the cable. Modern fibre optic cables don’t suffer from loss but can be interfered with. Sharks chewing on them seems to be a problem. But they do suffer from faults and faults aren’t uncommon. Fishing interference is the biggest cause of faults.
2: They don’t just drop a wire. It is surrounded by a lot of protection. This [link](https://www2.telegeography.com/submarine-cable-faqs-frequently-asked-questions#:~:text=How%20thick%20are%20undersea%20cables,layers%20of%20insulation%20and%20protection) explains how they’re constructed and laid.
3: Many companies. BT AT&T (and other telecoms from other nations), Facebook, Microsoft, Azure, Global Cloud Exchange and many more. Some companies group up. And if telecoms companies want to be able to transfer data – and they obviously do – then they have to pay to use the cables. Like shipping companies and their ships. The cables were worth $17 billion in 2023.
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