When examining the shared threats and security developments emerging in

When examining the shared threats and security developments emerging in the Nordic-Baltic and the Indo-Pacific, the issue of disruptions to subsea cables appears as an area for both opportunities to collaborate on developing policies that are more cross-regional and coordinating subsea-cable defence strategies.

A key factor compounding the urgency to build resilience in critical underwater infrastructure (CUI) is the cable-repair time, which has varied over the last decade and is understood to be influenced by issues such as repair-ship capacity and permitting requirements.

Around 99% of transoceanic digital communications (e.g. voice, data, internet and financial transactions) are carried via undersea telecommunication cables.

The latest IISS research report examines the challenges created by these subsea cable disruptions and assesses policy responses.

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Authors: Darshana M. Baruah, Rupert Schulenburg, Wakana Asano

IISS Shangri-La Dialogue | 29–31 May 2026
#IISS_SLD26 | go.iiss.org/SLD26