Telecommunications Cables: Seas and Oceans

(asked on 13th June 2025) - View Source

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the resilience of the UK’s digital economy in the event of disruption to undersea data cables.


Answered by
Chris Bryant Portrait
Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
This question was answered on 23rd June 2025

The Government recognises the critical role of undersea data cables in the UK’s digital economy. Individual subsea cables can be vulnerable to disruption. There is an average of 12 breaks a year from fishing, anchor drag, landslides and other causes. Most breaks have minimal impact on digital services due to resilience in the UK network. The UK has a large number of cables relative to other island nations. They are also geographically dispersed so data can be rerouted in the event of most disruptions. However, DSIT lead work on emergency preparedness and response in the event of a serious incident, as described in the National Risk Register.

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