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Telecommunications Cables: Seas and Oceans

Answer

Data on faults affecting subsea telecommunications cables connected to the UK is held by industry operators and collated by international bodies, including the International Cable Protection Committee, whose data the Department accesses.

The majority of faults to UK subsea cables continue to be caused by fishing and anchoring activity. This aligns with global trends – the ICPC has identified that 84% of global faults are caused by a combination of fishing and anchoring, with the remaining 16% due to geological events, seabed abrasion or defective equipment.

Suspicious activity near subsea cables is, however, being increasingly observed, although this has not led to any incidents affecting the cables. The Royal Navy and the Joint Maritime Security Centre provide 24/7 monitoring of maritime activity in UK waters and work closely with allies to track and deter any activity that threatens British interests.

In response, the Government recently announced proposals to strengthen subsea cable resilience, including tougher penalties for ship owners and operators that recklessly damage cables, and new legislative measures to ensure a robust baseline level of security across our entire cable network, with clearer duties to manage risk, maintain rigorous response plans, and report incidents.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

8471

Session

2026-27

Grouped for answer

Yes

Subjects

Damage Electric cables Repairs and maintenance Seas and oceans Telecommunications cables Russia

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk