Sharks Terrorize Google’s Undersea Network Cables, So They Wrap Them In Kevlar
All this time, we thought it would be sharks with frickin' lasers that would cause mankind the most trouble. Nope. Instead of lasers, it's the same threat -- their teeth and appetite. Luckily, the situation isn't as dire as in Sharknado, but sharks are (or were, as the case may be) causing trouble in the ocean chewing through Google's fiber-optic cables that run underwater in the ocean.
To combat the issue, Google has begun wrapping its underwater cables in Kevlar, the company said in a statement. And speaking of lasers, Google's fiber cables use lasers to send data through glass at high speeds of up to 1Gbps, or around 100 times faster than your average copper cable can transmit data.
"Since fiber is made of fragile glass, its casing is built to protect it from breaking," Google explains. "A fiber-optic cable often includes (listed from the outer layer inward): An outer polyurethane jacket, a protective layer (made from a material like Kevlar), a plastic coating (in different colors, so technicians can follow the path of each strand), and enclosed in all of these, a glass fiber."
A 15,000-pound undersea cable being transported to Brazil.
Sharks aren't the main problem, however, and some argue that they're no longer a problem at all with the improved cable construction these days. According to the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), around 70 percent of all cable failures are associated with external aggression such as fishing and shipping activities.
Either way, Google is taking the potential threat seriously.
To combat the issue, Google has begun wrapping its underwater cables in Kevlar, the company said in a statement. And speaking of lasers, Google's fiber cables use lasers to send data through glass at high speeds of up to 1Gbps, or around 100 times faster than your average copper cable can transmit data.
"Since fiber is made of fragile glass, its casing is built to protect it from breaking," Google explains. "A fiber-optic cable often includes (listed from the outer layer inward): An outer polyurethane jacket, a protective layer (made from a material like Kevlar), a plastic coating (in different colors, so technicians can follow the path of each strand), and enclosed in all of these, a glass fiber."
A 15,000-pound undersea cable being transported to Brazil.
Sharks aren't the main problem, however, and some argue that they're no longer a problem at all with the improved cable construction these days. According to the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), around 70 percent of all cable failures are associated with external aggression such as fishing and shipping activities.
Either way, Google is taking the potential threat seriously.
