While you’re reading articles on your preferred popular scientific media channel or participating in a video conference, the information has probably traveled via a massive network of underwater cables to reach your device.

Fiber-optic cables use light to transmit vast amounts of data globally, connecting all continents except Antarctica. While efficient, these cables face increasing risks from damage, with an estimated 100 to 150 cuts occurring annually, often due to fishing gear or anchors.

NATO is supporting a new effort to reroute data into space as a precaution against interruptions to essential infrastructure, ensuring dependable internet connections are maintained in an increasingly unpredictable environment.

The Hybrid Space/Underwater Architecture Ensuring Infosec of Telecommunications or “HEIST” consortium aims to enhance internet security through a hybrid network of satellite communications and submarine cables to reduce vulnerabilities. Currently, SpaceX’s Starlink provides space-based internet but has issues, especially amid the ongoing Russian Ukraine conflict Critics question the influence of individuals like Elon Musk on global events, motivating NATO nations to seek an independent and secure alternative.

An interdisciplinary and multinational team comprising esteemed institutions such as Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, Bifröst University, Swedish Defence University, Blekinge Institute of Technology, ETH Zürich, along with key stakeholders including the Royal Swedish Navy and the Icelandic government, and bolstered by the expertise of many commercial firms, is presently working diligently on the ambitious project. This collaboration, marked by a diverse set of skills and backgrounds, aims to tackle complex challenges in innovative ways. Although some members of the HEIST team aim to begin testing program components in 2025, they remain optimistic that a working prototype of the advanced system might be available within the next two years.