New Delhi: Internet is an inseparable part of life in this modern world. Social media access, YouTube and OTT platforms, video calls, online shopping and office work, all rely on a constant digital connection. Many people assume that the internet primarily comes from satellites or mobile towers. However, the reality is nearly 99 percent of global internet traffic travels through cables laid beneath the oceans. The data flows not above, but below, through the depths of the seas.
Submarine optical fiber cables form the backbone of the internet, connecting continents and countries reliably over thousands of kilometres. These cables transport vast amounts of data every second, linking businesses, governments and households across the globe. But who actually owns these massive networks stretched under the oceans?
A Brief History Of Submarine Internet Cables
The story of internet cables traces back to the 1830s, with the invention of the telegraph. Even then, wired communication was the only way to transmit messages over long distances. In 1858, American entrepreneur Cyrus Westfield laid the first telegraph cable under the Atlantic Ocean to connect the United States and Britain.
Though the cable failed soon after, it marked a historic beginning. By 1866, the first permanent undersea cable was successfully installed. Over time, it began to span the world, evolving from telegraph to telephone, and eventually, to internet data.
Today, submarine cables stretch over 1.4 million kilometres worldwide. They carry 99 percent of the internet traffic, including India’s international data. Around 95 percent of India’s international internet traffic passes through these undersea fiber-optic cables. The country is connected through 17 international submarine cables linked to 14 landing stations located in Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Tuticorin and Thiruvananthapuram.
From these points, the internet spreads to every part of the country, seamlessly connecting India to the global digital network.
Who Owns These Oceanic Internet Highways?
Despite their global importance, no single government owns these cables. Submarine internet cables are primarily owned and operated by private telecom and technology companies. These firms have the financial resources, technical expertise and infrastructure needed to lay, maintain and operate the cables to ensure uninterrupted internet service across continents.
In India, companies like Tata Communications, Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Sify Technologies and BSNL manage these undersea cables. Globally, various private corporations handle the deployment and operation of submarine cables, maintaining the backbone of the world’s internet.
Without these networks, the seamless flow of data, which modern life depends on, would simply not be possible.
The next time you scroll through social media or stream a video, remember that beneath thousands of kilometres of ocean, a network of carefully maintained fiber-optic cables is tirelessly carrying data to your device.