Sabotage of Baltic Sea cables?
What the damage means for the German Internet
November 20, 2024 – 3:24 p.mReading time: 4 min.
The important submarine cable C-Lion1 was damaged. What impact the incident has on consumers, businesses and digital infrastructure - and why such cables are so important for our connected world.
The C-Lion1 submarine cable, which connects Germany and Finland, has been severed. Finnish state-owned company Cinia confirmed that the disruption was detected on Monday morning. The exact circumstances are still unclear; the Chinese freighter “Yi Peng 3” is suspected.
- Also read: What is known about the possible sabotage
The damage to the 1,173 km long undersea telecommunications cable could have far-reaching effects on data traffic. The C-Lion1 is an important digital lifeline: It
Experts estimate that around 95 percent of all intercontinental data flows through the more than 600 submarine cables worldwide. Without this infrastructure, large parts of the Internet would not function. Even satellites can only transmit a fraction of the amount of data.
There are extremely thin glass fibers in its core. These transmit data in the form of light signals – at almost the speed of light. A single modern submarine cable can transmit up to 224 terabits per second, the equivalent of millions of simultaneous Internet connections. The total capacity of C-Lion1 is 144 terabits per second.
The sensitive glass fibers are surrounded by several layers: plastic sleeves, steel wires and a waterproof coating protect against pressure and external influences. Cables laid closer to shore use additional layers of armor for better protection. Despite these protective measures, the cables can be damaged by anchors, fishing nets or deliberate sabotage.
The cables are laid on the seabed at a depth of up to 8,000 meters. Special ships with large cable drums take them to their destination. It is estimated that almost 1.4 million kilometers of submarine cables are in use worldwide. The submarine cables are then connected to the land networks on the coast.
C-Lion1 connects the Finnish city of Helsinki with Rostock in Germany. It is part of a network of undersea cables that handle global data traffic. The cable is crucial for transferring data between the two countries, including internet access, cloud services and business data streams. But also so-called latency-critical data, which must be processed quickly and without delay, as the route between Finland and Germany is the shortest.
Damage such as that to the C-Lion1 cable can result in data streams having to be rerouted. Most systems are prepared for such scenarios and use alternative cables. However, delays and bottlenecks can occur, especially when using services that require high bandwidth.
Private users in Germany don’t have to worry much at first. The Internet is designed in such a way that data traffic automatically takes other routes if a connection fails. Every country must have multiple cables to ensure a reliable connection in the event of a cable being damaged. There are numerous alternative routes and backup systems.
However, the damage to the cable could be noticeable in the form of slower internet speeds or brief outages, for example during video streaming, online gaming, or large downloads. When asked by t-online, Cinia stated that “there may be slightly longer latencies, which the normal Internet user does not notice.”
The situation could be more critical for companies. Companies that rely on fast data connections to Northern Europe in particular could notice restrictions. These include banks, online retailers and technology companies. Data centers and cloud providers in the region could also be affected. They may need to reroute their traffic over longer and therefore slower routes. This can lead to higher costs and delayed transmission times.
Repairing submarine cables is complex and expensive. First, the exact location of the damage must be located. Special ships then travel to the damaged area. The cable is lifted from the seabed using robots and special grippers.
What are the immediate effects of the C-Lion1 submarine cable damage on internet users in Germany and Finland?
The recent damage to the C-Lion1 submarine cable, which connects Germany and Finland, poses significant challenges for digital infrastructure, consumers, and businesses. The cable, responsible for handling a substantial portion of data traffic between the two nations, was severed under unclear circumstances, with a Chinese freighter, the “Yi Peng 3,” suspected in the incident.
Impact of the C-Lion1 Damage:
- Data Traffic Disruption: The C-Lion1 cable, which stretches 1,173 km, is a vital data conduit. With around 95% of intercontinental data carried through submarine cables, any disruption can have cascading effects on internet performance and accessibility.
- Bandwidth Limitations: The cable’s capacity of 144 terabits per second means it can support millions of simultaneous internet connections. Its loss can result in slower services as traffic is rerouted through alternative cables.
- Potential for Reduced Internet Performance: Although the internet infrastructure is generally resilient, rerouting traffic can lead to delays and bottlenecks, particularly for high-bandwidth services. Latency-sensitive applications may experience noticeable impacts during this transitional period.
- Public Access Considerations: For the average internet user in Germany, the immediate effects may not be severe due to the redundancy built into global internet infrastructure. Most systems are equipped to handle cable failures by rerouting through alternative connections, ensuring continued service.
- Long-Term Implications: Continued reliance on fewer cable routes without robust redundancy could become a concern, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a diverse and secure network of submarine cables. The incident underscores the vulnerability of digital infrastructure against both accidental damage and potential sabotage.
Conclusion:
The damage to the C-Lion1 submarine cable highlights the critical role such infrastructure plays in global connectivity. The event serves as a reminder of the fragility of the systems many take for granted and the importance of investing in resilient digital infrastructure to mitigate future disruptions.