What concerns do the ICPC have about vulnerabilities in the global communications network?
The submarine cable industry has addressed the impact of natural disasters, human activities and technical failures for decades and has managed it very well based on the reliability enjoyed by billions of customers around the world. Normal safety factors are designed into present systems including threats from human activity or natural hazards. There are certain areas of the globe where cables are known to be at a higher risk due to the movement of tectonic plates. However, the cost of providing 100% security can be prohibitive due to the unpredictable nature of these relatively rare events and the fact that the cable owners are obliged to operate in competition with each other. The ICPC members each work closely with their national governments to maximize the security of submarine cables and this work is ongoing as new threats emerge. Internationally, treaties such at the International Convention for the Protection of Submarine Cables and the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention (
