On July 14, 2026, PEASEC researcher Jonas Franken was invited to speak at the WIK (Wissenschaftliches Institut für Infrastruktur und Kommunikationsdienste) workshop “Internet-Unterseekabel und ihre Relevanz für Deutschland und Europa: Strategien, Resilienz und digitale Souveränität.” WIK is a think tank for communication services in Germany whose work focuses on regulatory and policy issues in the fields of telecommunications, logistics as well as digitalization, the internet and online platforms. Bringing together participants from ministries, public authorities, industry, academia and European institutions, the workshop explored how Europe can strengthen the resilience and digital sovereignty of its subsea communications infrastructure and what tasks fall into the German national responsibilities.
In his presentation, “Augenmaß statt Aktionismus: Kontextualisierung der Bedrohungslage und Handlungsoptionen für die deutsche Seekabelpolitik,” Jonas examined the threat landscape surrounding subsea internet cables and argued for evidence-based policymaking and patience rather than reacting to individual incidents with premature conclusions.
A central message of the presentation was that the majority of the approximately 150–200 cable faults recorded worldwide each year result from unintentional human activities such as fishing, anchoring, or dredging, while attributed, deliberate acts of sabotage outside openly fought conflicts remain comparatively rare. This highlights the importance of thoroughly investigating individual incidents before attributing them to hybrid aggression or state actors. The presentation analysed the specific characteristics of Germany’s subsea cable infrastructure in the North and Baltic Sea. Germany’s position within Europe’s interconnected cable network, dense maritime traffic, offshore infrastructure, environmental regulation and federal governance creates distinct opportunities and challenges for protecting critical communications infrastructure.
A particular focus of the presentation was on measures to improve resilience and preparedness. These include expanding monitoring capabilities through the combination of satellite data, AIS signals, coastal radar, OSINT, and other sensing technologies to detect suspicious maritime activities at an early stage. While cable failures are typically detected quickly by operators, greater challenges lie in forensic investigation, attribution and demonstrating intentionality. Strengthening repair capabilities, establishing cable repair hubs and improving reporting and coordination mechanisms therefore remain key priorities.
Jonas also discussed current policy developments in Germany and Europe. While the European Union has established a strategic framework through initiatives such as the EU Action Plan and the EU Cable Security Toolbox, effective implementation requires close coordination between public authorities, operators and international partners. Drawing on international best practices, the presentation highlighted the value of maritime monitoring, faster operational responses, harmonised regulatory frameworks and dedicated institutional capacities for cable protection. Strengthening subsea cable security is ultimately a European challenge. Laying out strengths and shortfalls of the recent Cable Diplomacy motion discussed in the German Bundestag, Jonas argued that Germany can contribute best by supporting European resilience through coordinated monitoring, information sharing, evidence-based risk assessment and the implementation of existing European policy instruments.
Across the discussions, participants agreed that subsea cables are becoming increasingly important for Europe’s and Germany’s digital sovereignty and require continued political attention and international cooperation.
Related research:
The interviews build on PEASEC’s ongoing work on submarine cable security, including research conducted within the SecFOCI project and the ATHENE Think Tank “Security Risks for Submarine Cables.”
See also:
- Jonas Franken, Patrick Flamm, Christian Reuter (2026) Subsea cables to Antarctica: Technological challenges and geopolitical implications of connecting the material internet’s last frontier, Telematics and Informatics Reports; 22:100329. doi:10.1016/j.teler.2026.100329
- Jonas Franken, Martin Hagemeier, Timon Dörnfeld, Julian Löffler, Paula Meissner, Christian Reuter (2026) SubSeaCure: Grid-Based Risk Mapping of Europe’s Subsea Data Cable Network, Computer Safety, Reliability, and Security (SAFECOMP) .
- Jonas Franken, Thomas Reinhold, Timon Dörnfeld, Christian Reuter (2025) Hidden structures of a global infrastructure: Expansion factors of the subsea data cable network, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 215, 124068, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2025.124068.
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Camino Kavanagh, Jonas Franken, Wenting He (2025) Achieving Depth: Subsea Telecommunications Cables as Critical Infrastructure Geneva, Switzerland: 2025. https://unidir.org/publication/achieving-depth-subsea-telecommunications-cables-as-critical-infrastructure/