Open letter to European, UK and NATO decision makers on subsea cables

A group of Europe’s leading telecoms operators and cable industry companies – Alcatel Submarine Networks, GlobalConnect, NKT, Orange, Proximus, Sparkle, Telefónica, Telenor, and Vodafone – have written an open letter to European, UK, and NATO decision-makers.

They call for closer co-operation with EU and UK industry stakeholders, arguing that there is a need to take additional measures to further develop harmonised approaches for the subsea cables ecosystem.

Subsea cables play a vital role in Europe's connectivity, competitiveness, defence readiness, and economic stability.

The security of network infrastructure, both terrestrial and submarine, is an absolute priority for all players across the ecosystem. Europe already boasts considerable diversity in its infrastructure enabling traffic to be rapidly rerouted over alternative routes in the case of incidents and has the capacity to intervene quickly to repair cables.

But with the rise in hybrid threats – including incidents affecting subsea cables in the Baltic and North Sea – the sharing of expertise across all players will enable enhanced, coordinated action that will increase the level of protection afforded to Europe's networks.

The EU Action Plan on Cable Security provides a clear approach to further increase the resilience and security of subsea cables. The signatories welcome the reference made to the instrumental aspect of the Connected Europe Facility (CEF) and are strongly committed to dedicated dialogue with the European Commission, particularly on the need for the deployment of additional surveillance and protection technologies.

The signatories conclude that by partnering with industry, Europe can leverage advanced technologies and expertise to improve awareness, increase response time and strengthen repair capabilities. Simplifying the permitting process and governance structures will further expedite these necessary additional security measures.