World map of submarine cables: this is the Internet backbone

The map has been prepared TeleGeography gives us the details of undersea fiber cables installed high capacity in the world, vital for the Internet work and everything is connected globally.

Normally when we hear of fiber optic cables that rest on the seabed is in news reporting that have been cut, usually caused by either a boat anchor that has not complied with the prohibitions on funding that are indicated on nautical charts. Although two years ago, there was a whole series of incidents that made ​​you think that the ITU was brewing Internet sabotage the Middle East.

These cables are known for their huge data transmission capacity, necessary for communication between continents are fast enough for Internet work quickly.

However, the information of where to go and what companies have invested in these large trunks are often not well known. To this end, TeleGeography has produced a map detailing 188 of these cables, indicating roughly where to go and what cities together. Due to its cost, it is not unusual to see several companies and infrastructure owners.

We miss the data transmission capacity, but you can get in many cases through the official websites of each of the links present in the map.

For example, we can observe that although Spain has a good geographical location, its importance in this regard is limited to the Mediterranean through strands of wires in Conil, Cadiz Estepona arriving from northern Europe and spend the Strait of Gibraltar, as well of shorter links that leave Valencia, Barcelona or Ses Covetes (Baleares).

Meanwhile, in the Canaries have enough cables stopping continue south along Africa. In Bilbao there is a connection with Britain, the main point of entry of the transatlantic cables. Finally, Lisbon is the main focal point in the Iberian Peninsula with the rest of the continent.

A peculiar thing is worth noting that one of the world's most extensive cable (28,000 km) is the FLAG Europe-Asia (FEA) that goes from Porthcurno (UK) to Miura (Japan) with a stop in Estepona, then go through all Mediterranean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and China Sea.

However, the "SeaMeWe-3" is the longest in the world. With a length of 39,000 kilometers, linking Norden (Germany) and Perth (Australia) and Keoje (South Korea) by a route similar to the FLAG Europe-Asia.

• Submarine Cable Map