In 1866, a global telecommunications revolution took place when the first permanent transatlantic cable became a success. Communication times from Ireland to Newfoundland cut message delivery times from two weeks to two minutes. Now, a century and a half removed from telegraphs, the world still relies on submarine cables for its communications.
Europe and Asia are connected by multiple submarine cables. However, only the three most recent - SMW5, AAE1, and PEACE - are running on the latest DWDM technology, meaning the majority of data traffic travels through them. These cables carry the majority of data traffic between these regions, all routing through Egypt. But, in times of geopolitical upheaval, conflict and uncertainty, a reliance on a limited number of cables becomes a critical weakness. Conflict in the Middle East coincided with attacks on these vital cables in March 2024. All suspected actors denied culpability, but the fact remains that communications have been disrupted.
The disruption of connectivity infrastructure can paralyse business operations, making it a critical issue for the C-suite
International network services provider Retn estimates that disruption levels reached 70%, a figure revealed in its 2024 report Building the Networks of Tomorrow. Tony O’Sullivan, Retn’s CEO, says that despite the seeming reliability of the cables, a reliance on only similar routes of communications is flawed. “The majority of internet traffic between Europe and Asia is carried on subsea cables. This is mainly due to the fact that they are cheaper and easier to construct,” he says. Terrestrial cables require a geopolitically complex negotiation with all the countries along the intended route. Subsea cables are primarily laid in international waters, with only limited infrastructure on sovereign land. So the Red Sea cable made sense. But it limited redundancies and resilience in the process.
Beyond this singular incident, existing infrastructure is at risk of cable cuts, primarily caused by shipping-related accidents such as anchor and fishing equipment. A reliance on a singular pathway is no longer viable. This is more than just an IT issue - it can become a boardroom-level crisis, impacting business continuity at the highest level. Internet connection is, for most companies, an undeniable lifeline.
Retn emphasises the need for multiple routes, some low latency, to safeguard against geopolitical disruptions and ensure uninterrupted service. O’Sullivan says that to do this, CTOs need to understand the questions they should be asking of their infrastructure providers. A focus on resilience is key. One question he suggests posing is, “Where most paths are subsea do they have redundancy via terrestrial routes, which at least if damaged is typically fixed in a matter of hours rather than months?”
The consequences of network failure, in today’s interconnected world, extend far beyond IT operations, jeopardising revenue streams and potentially costing millions. O’Sullivan says, “Redundancy is key. If your network demands are large enough and/or connectivity is critical for your organisation, look at a multi-vendor approach. With many business leaders entering into multi-year contracts for cost-efficiency you need to be sure that their commitment is rock solid, enforceable or that you have a way to seek a more competent network.”
Retn connects businesses across Europe and Asia with 135,000km of low-latency routes and ensures redundant paths across the route. This provides assurances to its customers that their connectivity will still be reliable, no matter the circumstances.
O’Sullivan says: “The impact of the Red Sea fiber cuts and other subsea issues is typically measured in weeks and months. Yes, your data might still transit from Europe to Asia, but recent examples we saw from customers during this year’s events saw their traffic with other operators going from South East Asia to the US and then to Europe. If your business activities require network performance, the fact that your data finally reaches its destination after a round-the-world trip, is of little consolation.”
As connectivity infrastructure underpins nearly every aspect of modern business, its disruption can paralyse entire operations, making it a critical issue for the C-suite. O’Sullivan adds: “We are seeing more and more requests, clearly trying to identify weak spots in the network design prior to order. It’s only a matter of time before this filters down to every other business leader.”
To safeguard the future of global business, CTOs and COOs must prioritise resilient, multi-layered connectivity solutions. In today’s interconnected world, a single point of failure is simply not an option.
For more information please visit retn.net
