Backup submarine cables --- Bennette, I would guess it is all about money. Laying down a single cable is a multi-year project. One could possibly lay another cable in paralel, along the same route, but this wouldn't help much then as the risks of damage are very similar (the cable cut near Alexandria is an example: there were multiple cables but all landing at the same port, which caused a havoc).

Instead, a better approach is to have multiple cables - this is what is taking place across the Atlantic, and in the Pacific, where multiple actors are laying cables - that serves as redundancy. But, this happens where there is a direct commercial interest - thus mainly between the more developed regions, while developing countries are left behind.

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu