A planetary system of undersea cables stretches across oceans, seas, and around continents… 550,000 miles (885,139.2 kilometers) of fiber optic communications cables that power the internet and more. The first was laid in the 1850s between Newfoundland and Ireland to transmit telegraph messages, “reducing the communication time between North America and Europe from ten days – the time it took to deliver a message by ship – to a matter of minutes.”
Now over 300 submarine cables carry a staggering 99% of all international data.This video map from Business Insider animates these vital connections around the world.
