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How One Clumsy Ship Caused A Major Net Outtage

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the just-redial-the-modem dept.

Ant writes "Here is an interesting world map of various Internet connections, showing how it took just one vessel to inflict the damage that brought down the internet for millions."

5 of 264 comments (clear)

  1. That's no physical location map. by the_other_chewey · · Score: 5, Informative

    The image linked from the summary does not depict the physical locations of cables, but is a schematic of existing connections between points on the globe. The lines in that image have not much to do with where the cables actually are. A more realistic representation of (a subset of) the world's submarine cable networks would e.g. be this big PDF or, in a more comprehensive view, that one (sold for a mere $350 :-| ).

  2. Re:3rd cable cut by aminorex · · Score: 5, Informative

    Two in the Mediterranean, another between Suez and Dubai somewhere, which is not in the Mediterranean at all.
    The nation of Iran appears to be entirely disconnected from the Internet by these events: http://www.internettrafficreport.com/asia.htm

    --
    -I like my women like I like my tea: green-
  3. See it to believe it by __aaqvdr516 · · Score: 5, Informative
    The cable that was cut is in a common anchoring point for ships waiting to transit the Suez. The Suez canal is only large enough to allow transit in one direction, which leads to a pileup of sorts at one end to the "lake" in the center. As a point of reference here's a picture of a US carrier entering the Suez canal. https://segue.atlas.uiuc.edu/index.php?action=site&site=rrosenb2

    Off into the distance you can see the anchoring area. All the cables except the one that goes around the horn of Africa go through this channel. Maybe now it doesn't look so far fetched?

  4. Re:Send Them a Bill by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 5, Informative

    They should follow the example of the telephone company. Find the owners of the ships and send them a bill for the repair costs. That will get their attention.


    Actually, ships are governed by maritime law, which is designed to protect and encourage commerce; I'm not sure if they even would be responsible for damage from an anchor to a cable lying on the seafloor. From my limited recollection, vessel owners liability is generally the value of the vessel (not including the cargo).

    --
    I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
  5. Re:Send Them a Bill by linuxscrub · · Score: 5, Informative

    I believe that many/all undersea cables are mapped.

    Ships/captains plying international waters must have up-to-date info. If they damage a cable that is on the maps, they are responsible.

    See the great WIRED article from Neal Stephanson on the laying of FLAG:
    http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.12/ffglass_pr.html

    OK, it's an article from 1996, but it's one of the best WIRED articles (and looong) ever (back before they were owned by Conde Nast)

    L. Scrub