Undersea Cables: The Hidden Infrastructure and Colonial Legacy of Global Communication
By
teleforce
Pulled from the oven just right. Trustworthy, fact-dense, deeply satisfying.
Summary
The article explores the historical legacy of undersea telegraph cables and how their history, including unheard voices from colonial contexts, is replicated in modern communication technology. It reveals that 97% of internet traffic travels through undersea fiber-optic cables, challenging the common perception that data primarily moves via satellites or 'the cloud'. The piece examines how these cables continue patterns of colonial power dynamics, labor exploitation, and environmental impact established during the telegraph era, while also highlighting the physical infrastructure that enables global connectivity.
Key quotes
· 4 pulled97% of the internet travels through these cables
Wireless technology and data being stored in 'The Cloud' may lead you to think information is pinged around the globe via satellites. Only a very small portion is
Instant communication, like texts, phone calls and websites, is made possible by copper and fibre-optic undersea cables which carry data between countries
The history and unheard voices behind the undersea telegraph cable are replicated in modern communication technology
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