Subsea Cables

Submarine cables are critical infrastructure, delivering communications, internet, and power inwards to Scotland and outwards to international partners via an extensive network totalling 6,120 km (Figure 1) (6,006 km active; 114 km under construction). Cables are generally owned and operated by private or corporate entities. There are also military cables on the seabed, which are not covered here.

Telecommunication cables are responsible for approx. 99% of global communications and carry telephone calls, internet connections and data.

There are numerous international submarine cables connecting Scotland and the rest of the UK to the global digital economy. There are also domestic fibre optic inter-island cables delivering broadband to remote communities.