Europe Invests €347 Million to Protect Internet's Hidden Backbone from Growing Threats

2026-02-05 data

Brussels, Thursday, 5 February 2026.
The European Commission has launched a €347 million security initiative targeting submarine cables that carry 99% of intercontinental internet traffic. This investment comes as these underwater digital highways face increasing risks from intentional damage and sabotage, with incidents averaging 3-4 per week globally.

New Security Framework Addresses Critical Infrastructure Vulnerabilities

The European Commission announced on February 5, 2026, a comprehensive security package that includes a new Cable Security Toolbox of risk mitigating measures and a designated list of Cable Projects of European Interest (CPEIs) [1]. This initiative forms part of the EU Action Plan on Cable Security, specifically designed to counter the rising threat of intentional damage and sabotage to Europe’s submarine cable network [1]. The Commission has amended the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital Work Programme to allocate the €347 million investment to strategic submarine cable projects [1]. A €20 million call launched the same day focuses on enhancing Europe’s repair capacities through adaptable modules for submarine cable repairs, which will be stationed at ports or shipyards to enable swift restoration of services [1].

The Scale and Importance of Global Submarine Cable Networks

The global submarine cable infrastructure spans more than 500 commercial cables stretching approximately 1.7 million kilometers beneath the oceans [3][6]. These cables, roughly the width of a garden hose, have evolved from 19th-century telegraph lines into high-capacity systems capable of transmitting hundreds of terabits of data per second [4]. Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), emphasized their critical role, stating that “about 99 per cent of the international internet traffic goes through submarine cables” [3]. The cables facilitate over $10 trillion in daily financial transactions globally, making them essential arteries of intercontinental communication and commerce [8]. Over the past decade, the length of submarine cables worldwide has increased by more than 70 percent [7].

Rising Threats and Vulnerability Patterns

Submarine cables face approximately 150 to 200 incidents annually, averaging 3 to 4 incidents per week globally [3]. Roughly 80 percent of these incidents result from human activities, including ship anchors and fishing trawlers, rather than natural disasters [3][4]. Recent high-profile incidents demonstrate escalating security concerns: in 2024, submarine cable disruptions in the Red Sea affected approximately 25 percent of data traffic between Europe and Asia [3]. Taiwan’s Matsu Islands experienced a particularly severe incident in early 2023 when Chinese vessels allegedly cut the only two cables connecting the islands to Taiwan, leaving 14,000 residents dependent on microwave radio transmission for six weeks [8]. More recently, in January 2026, the Chinese-owned vessel Shunxing 39 reportedly damaged a cable near Keelung, Taiwan, switching off its identification signal while passing over the cable before reappearing under a different flag [8].

International Cooperation and Technical Solutions

The global response to submarine cable vulnerabilities has intensified through multilateral initiatives. The International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience, established in 2024 and led by Nigeria and Portugal, now includes 42 members working across three specialized working groups [7]. The Second International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit took place in Porto, Portugal, on February 3-4, 2026, bringing together governments, regulators, operators, and international organizations to discuss practical resilience measures [3][7]. The ITU and International Cable Protection Committee are collaborating to strengthen infrastructure protection through enhanced cooperation among governments, operators, and international organizations [7]. Cable infrastructure installed during the dot-com boom around 2000 is reaching maturity, with cables designed for an average 25-year lifespan, creating additional urgency for modernization efforts [4]. The capacity of optical cables has been increasing by 40 percent yearly over the past 40 years, supporting the exponential growth of internet traffic [3].

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digital infrastructure submarine cables