TONGA VOLCANIC ERUPTION AND THE TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM

In the wake of a violent volcanic eruption in Tonga, much of the communication with residents on the islands remains at a standstill. In our modern, highly-connected world, more than 95% of global data transfer occurs along with fiber-optic cables that criss-cross through the world’s oceans.

The video below shows the incredible spread of submarine cables around the planet – with more than 885,000 kilometers of cable laid down since 1989.

What happened in Tonga?

Tonga was only connected to the global submarine telecommunication network in the last decade. Its islands have been heavily reliant on this system as it is more stable than other technologies such as satellite and fixed infrastructure.

The situation in Tonga right now is still fluid, and certain details have yet to be confirmed – but it seems one or more volcanic processes (such as the tsunami, submarine landslide, or other underwater currents) have snapped the 872km long fiber-optic cable connecting Tonga to the rest of the world. The cable system was not switched off or disconnected by the authorities.

This has had a massive impact. Tongans living in Australia and New Zealand can’t contact their loved ones to check on them. It has also made it difficult for Tongan government officials and emergency services to communicate with each other, and for local communities to determine aid and recovery needs.

Risks to submarine cables elsewhere

The events in Tonga once again highlight how fragile the global undersea cable network is and how quickly it can go offline.

Cables are laid in the shortest (that means cheapest) distance between two points on the Earth’s surface. They also have to be laid along with particular geographic locations that allow easy placement, which is why many cables are clustered in choke points. Many of these undersea cables pass close to or directly over active volcanoes, regions impacted by tropical cyclones, and/or active earthquake zones.

How do we manage risk going forward?

Given the vulnerability of the network, the first step to mitigating risk is to undertake research to quantify and evaluate the actual risk to submarine cables in particular places on the ocean floors and to different types of natural hazards. For example, tropical cyclones (hurricanes/typhoons) occur regularly, but other disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen less often.

At the same time, governments and telecommunication companies should find ways to diversify the way we communicate, such as by using more satellite-based systems and other technologies.

TONGA VOLCANIC ERUPTION AND THE TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM

What happened in Tonga?

Risks to submarine cables elsewhere

How do we manage risk going forward?

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