Submarine cables are the unsung heroes of the digital age upon which global communication networks rely. More than 95 percent of all intercontinental internet traffic travels over these cables from streaming services to underground financial transactions to critical government communications. Subsea cables are no less vital to human development, yet remain eminently sabotageable by intention or exposure to natural disasters. As Pakistan’s commercial, civilian, and military activities increasingly rely on digital connectivity, protecting its undersea cable infrastructure is not solely a technical imperative, but a national security issue.
Importance of Under Sea Cables
Some 600 undersea cables owned by public and private institutions worldwide dole out high-bandwidth communication critical to the current buildout of technologies such as cloud computing and integrated 5G networks. According to the Business Insider, these cables handle about $10 trillion in daily financial transactions.
Due to importance of these cables, companies like Google and Meta are investing heavily in new undersea cable projects. Google’s $1 billion project aims to connect the U.S. and Asia via Darwin, enhancing internet reliability. In addition, Meta plans to build a $10 billion, 25,000-mile undersea cable network to bolster global connectivity.
The Undersea Cable Importance for Pakistan
The number of Internet users are growing in Pakistan. According to one report, in 2022, 32.95% of Pakistan’s population were internet users, up from 24.98%, and in January 2024, there were 111 million internet users in Pakistan, which is 45.7% of the country’s total population. This makes Pakistan the 7th-largest population of internet users in the world. Within span of two years, 13 percent increase in the internet user was reported.
The Digital Policy of Pakistan 2018, the ICT industry aims to reach a size of $20 billion by 2025, focusing on infrastructure development and digitization across various sectors. However, this target seems far but signifies the vision of Pakistani state in developing the IT industry and its importance in countries economic growth. Furthermore, Pakistan has a huge chunk of young population. Annually, over 20,000 IT graduates and engineers enter the workforce. They have a potential to contribute in Pakistan’s economic growth and also can help Pakistan in achieving demographic dividend.
In the domain of military, these cable are significant. Approximately 99% of international data, including military communications, passes through undersea cables. Therefore, these cables are vital for communication during the conflict and peace times.
Cybersecurity Challenges
In the digital age, undersea cables are as much physical assets as gateways to tons of data. As data-intensive applications gain traction in supporting advanced technologies, cables have become attractive targets for cyber espionage and hacking attempts. Malicious actors could use cable vulnerabilities to intercept communications or irreparably disrupt the services, causing just as much economic and strategic damage.
As Pakistan’s digital infrastructure grows and its reliance on undersea cables for civilian and military communication grows, it must stay vigilant. Submarine cables share critical data routes and the threat of cyber-attacks against these essential data routes necessitates incorporating submarine’s cable operations with proactive cybersecurity measures.
The Way Forward
China’s latest addition to its undersea infrastructure securing and maintenance technology, capable of laying cables at depths of up to 11,000 meters, reminds us how much technological advances can play in the industry. Like the United States and Japan, countries have produced multi-stakeholder partnerships involving governments and private sectors to increase the resilience of their subsea networks.
Therefore, Pakistan must rely on a similar approach that involves business with the government, private telecom companies, and global partners. Stronger subsea cable infrastructure in the country can be achieved through investments in state-of-the-art cable laying and maintenance technology and surveillance and monitoring systems.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is actively working to ensure the resilience, security, and capacity of Pakistan’s undersea cable network. To address geopolitical vulnerabilities, PTA has implemented redundancy measures, ensuring minimal impact from the disruption of 1-2 cables.
Furthermore, efforts are underway to diversify landing points, with four sites in Karachi and one in Khunjerab already operational, and additional points planned in Karachi and Gwadar. In addition, PTA is collaborating with Starlink to introduce satellite-based internet connectivity, which would significantly reduce reliance on undersea cables. Regarding data security, 90% of Pakistan’s internet traffic is encrypted using SSL/TLS protocols, mitigating espionage risks. Although undersea cable infrastructure is owned by international companies, global regulations govern their security. To meet growing bandwidth demand driven by 5G and other emerging technologies, PTA aims to expand the country’s internet capacity from 8 Tbps to 25 Tbps over the next three to five years.
Author
Rimsha Malik, Associate Research Offiecr at Center for International Strategic Studies AJK.
