Would cutting undersea cables really make a significant impact on global internet connectivity?

 Yes, cutting undersea cables would have a significant impact on global internet connectivity, but the degree of impact depends on various factors. Undersea cables carry the vast majority of international data traffic—about 99% of global internet traffic is transmitted through these cables. These cables connect continents, enabling data to travel between countries and across regions.

Impact Breakdown:

1. Loss of Redundancy: Undersea cables are designed to be part of a vast, redundant network, where multiple routes ensure that if one cable is damaged or cut, traffic can be rerouted through others. However, while redundancy exists, large-scale damage or destruction of key cables would disrupt connectivity, particularly for regions with limited alternative pathways.

2. Regional Disruptions: Some regions, especially island nations or those with limited terrestrial connections, might suffer severe disruptions if their connections are cut. For instance, cutting cables that serve Southeast Asia, the Middle East, or parts of Africa could have a profound effect on internet speeds, access to cloud services, and business operations in those areas.

3. Global Economic Consequences: While global internet connectivity might not be entirely shut down, major cuts in critical cables could result in slower speeds, higher latency, and reduced reliability for internet traffic. This would impact industries reliant on real-time communication and data transfer, such as finance, e-commerce, and cloud computing. International businesses might experience significant delays, which could disrupt supply chains, communication, and services.

4. Alternative Methods: In the event of damage to undersea cables, traffic could theoretically be rerouted through satellite communication or terrestrial networks. However, these alternatives are typically much slower, less reliable, and more expensive. Satellites, for example, have significantly higher latency than fiber-optic cables, making real-time applications like video conferencing, VoIP, and online gaming much more difficult.

5. Cybersecurity and Geopolitical Concerns: The intentional cutting of undersea cables could be seen as an act of cyberwarfare or a form of geopolitical sabotage. It could be used to disrupt communication between countries, intercept sensitive data, or cripple economies, especially in cases where countries depend heavily on international data flows.

In Summary:

Cutting undersea cables would have a major impact on global internet connectivity, especially in terms of speed, reliability, and latency, and could have serious economic and geopolitical consequences. However, while there is redundancy built into the system, some regions could experience significant disruptions, especially in the absence of alternative routes or infrastructure.