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Bandwidth is the oxygen that feeds the internet, and the undersea cable network provides bandwidth across the world's oceans. Join Richard Campbell as he explores the evolution of undersea cabling, culminating in today's fiber optic cable connections that span thousands of kilometers. How the cables are made, laid, damaged, and repaired is amazing—and essential to our modern world!

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Undersea fiber optic cables carry 97-98% of global internet traffic, with approximately 2 million kilometers of cable laid and 15-30 new cables added annually. Each modern cable moves 100-200 terabits per second, far exceeding satellite capacity. The talk covers cable construction (fiber optic cores, cladding, repeaters every 50-100km), installation processes (specialized ships, burial near shores, deep-water laying), repair procedures (ROVs, splice ships), and geopolitical challenges including recent deliberate anchor-dragging incidents in the Baltic Sea and Red Sea. Modern cables cost $150-500 million, last 20-25 years, and are primarily owned by telecom companies and tech giants like Google and Microsoft who share capacity through collective agreements.

The Undersea Cable Network - Richard Campbell - NDC Copenhagen 2025