Submarine Cable Security: Europe Bolsters Defenses with €347 Million

The EU releases its submarine cable security report with a €347M allocation, while US hyperscalers control 90% of transatlantic capacity. Full analysis.

Submarine Cable Security: Europe Bolsters Defenses with €347 Million

In March 2026, the European Commission published the revised version of its report on submarine cable infrastructure security, completing a process that began with the adoption of the EU Action Plan on Cable Security in February 2025. The document arrives at a critical moment: 2024 recorded 46 submarine cable failures, the highest number ever detected since monitoring began, while actual control of transatlantic infrastructure is now firmly in the hands of US hyperscalers.

The €347 Million EU Plan and the March 2026 Report

The European Commission has allocated €347 million to increase the security of submarine cables, a figure reflecting growing concern over the vulnerability of this critical infrastructure. The EU Action Plan on Cable Security, adopted on February 21, 2025, by the Commission and the High Representative, aims to counter threats and strengthen the resilience of underwater infrastructure.

In October 2025, the Commission had already published the "Security and Resilience of EU Submarine Cable Infrastructures Report," containing infrastructure mapping and stress test methodology. The revised version of the document, made available on March 16, 2026, represents the first comprehensive cable security report produced by the European Union.

A central element emerging from the analysis concerns infrastructure ownership: US hyperscalers control approximately 90% of the total capacity of cable lines between the United States and Europe. This concentration raises questions about European digital sovereignty, highlighting a significant dependence on infrastructure managed by non-European operators.

Historical Vulnerabilities and the Risk of Sabotage

The first episodes of modern sabotage date back to 2017 and affected submarine links between the UK-US and France-US. Since then, attention toward the physical security of these infrastructures has grown steadily, prompting the EU to equip itself with more effective monitoring and response tools.

The history of submarine cables is dotted with events demonstrating their strategic fragility. In 2006, an earthquake caused the simultaneous disruption of nine cables off Taiwan, resulting in a month-long interruption of 90% of communications between China and the United States. In 2007, Vietnamese fishermen cut a cable to recover materials, leaving Vietnam with only 10% connectivity for three weeks.

The Challenge of Global Demand and the Role of Hyperscalers

Between 2019 and 2023, aggregate global bandwidth demand reached 5 Petabits per second (Pbps). This exponential growth has transformed the ownership and management of submarine cables, which are increasingly controlled by large US technology groups investing directly in transoceanic capacity.

The expert group on submarine cable infrastructure, established by the Commission to implement the action plan, produced the EU risk assessment, including guidelines for mapping and stress testing. The final report from March 2026 also provides an overview of relevant non-EU actors, confirming the need for structural interventions to reduce the continent's strategic dependence.

The European Paradox: Strategic Delay and New Threats

The publication of the revised March 2026 report marks a step forward in the European approach to cable security, but it arrives in a context that is already heavily compromised. The control of 90% of transatlantic capacity by US hyperscalers represents a loss of digital sovereignty that is difficult to recover with investments limited to the €347 million allocated.

Deliberate threats are identified as an emerging factor in the EU report, with particular focus on state and non-state actors capable of carrying out targeted sabotage. The latest data on record-breaking failures in 2024 concretely demonstrates this systemic vulnerability, making a resilience strategy—which the European plan attempts to define—urgent.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many submarine cable failures were recorded in 2024?
In 2024, 46 submarine cable failures were reported, the highest number recorded since monitoring began.
Who controls the cable capacity between the United States and Europe?
US hyperscalers control approximately 90% of the total capacity of cable lines between the United States and Europe.
What is the EU's investment in cable security?
The European Commission has allocated €347 million to increase the security of submarine cables as part of the EU Action Plan on Cable Security.
When was the EU Action Plan on Cable Security adopted?
The EU Action Plan on Cable Security was adopted on February 21, 2025, by the European Commission and the High Representative.

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