Pacific Cables Vulnerable, but No One Wants to Pay to Fix the Problem

A recent earthquake in Vanuatu, which cut off its internet for 10 days, highlighted the vulnerability of strategic Pacific communications infrastructure.

A single point of failure for connectivity is a common vulnerability across the Pacific. Australian Defence Force

When a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Vanuatu in December, it not only caused widespread devastation and left at least a dozen people dead, but it also exposed a critical vulnerability in the country’s digital infrastructure, which is common across the Pacific: a lack of redundancy.

All of Vanuatu’s internet traffic is handled by a single undersea cable, ICN1. The Dec. 17 earthquake caused a fire at the cable landing station, disabling the power supply and cutting all internet traffic.