Undersea cables, geoeconomics, and security in the Indo-Pacific: Risks and resilience

Abstract

Undersea cables constitute the critical infrastructure of international data connectivity, transmitting over 95 % of global Internet traffic, and they have attracted increasing attention from policymakers recently. How are threats to undersea cable networks evolving, and why is cable competition intensifying in the Indo-Pacific region? How is the policy discourse around undersea cables changing, and what implications does this have for the physical realities of these networks and their resilience? This article introduces a framework for understanding recent developments and presents an analysis of cross-regional trends, providing the foundation for a Special Issue of Marine Policy. First, the article argues that risks to cable networks can be characterized along two dimensions—source and frequency—and that the fundamental risks to undersea cables have not changed dramatically. Instead, it is the understanding of these risks that has evolved due to securitization of the maritime and economic domains, driven partly by intensifying US-China rivalry. Second, although the extent to which the new discourse of cable securitization resonates varies across countries and companies, securitization is already reshaping the physical layout of regional cable architecture as investments are redirected to account for changing understandings of risk. Third, ensuring resilience requires a “whole life cycle” approach to cables that considers not only investment and construction but also licensing, regulation, maintenance, protection, and repair. By integrating undersea cables into broader discussions across marine policy, economics, and security, this article enables scholars and policymakers to more comprehensively assess risks and to formulate more effective solutions.