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Quad partners focus on strategies to protect subsea cables from threats
The Quad partners highlighted the critical role of subsea cables in supporting the global digital economy
New Delhi: Officials and industry leaders of the Quad member states gathered in New Delhi on Wednesday to explore strategies to expand India’s subsea cable infrastructure and protect subsea cable systems from emerging threats such cyberattacks and sabotage.
The Wavelength Forum, organised under the US state department’s “CABLES” programme, focused on strengthening subsea cable connectivity and resilience across the Indo-Pacific region. The forum underscored India’s “growing importance as a digital hub”, according to the US embassy.
The forum also highlighted the critical role of subsea cables in supporting the global digital economy and the “importance of using trusted vendors for construction, maintenance, and repair”, the embassy said.
The Quad, which includes India, Australia, Japan and the US, decided at a meeting of foreign ministers of the grouping on July 1 that India and the US would host the undersea cables forum with participation from Quad partners to identify opportunities for digital infrastructure collaboration.
The forum was organised as part of the Quad Partnership on Cable Connectivity and Resilience, one of the flagship initiatives of the grouping to protect and secure subsea cables, which have been the target of attacks in several parts of the world. The disruption of services provided by the cables leads to internet outages and affects digital services and e-commerce.
The forum was meant to encourage regulatory harmonisation to support more efficient access by Quad partner companies to identify opportunities for digital infrastructure collaboration.
More than 70 participants, including Quad partners, government officials and industry leaders joined the Wavelength Forum and explored strategies to “expand India’s cable infrastructure, including regulatory reforms, streamlined permitting processes, and enhanced maintenance and repair capacity”, the US embassy said.
“India accounts for 20% of global internet traffic and needs more subsea cables connected to its shores,” the embassy said.
The participants also exchanged views on protecting subsea cable systems from emerging threats, including cyberattacks and sabotage, and emphasised the “importance of collective action to safeguard global connectivity”.
Discussions also focused on the urgent need for resilient and secure cable networks to meet growing demand driven by 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT).
US charge d’affaires Jorgan Andrews highlighted the importance of cooperation between the US and India in this sphere.
“The Wavelength Forum underscores the strong US-India partnership on regional infrastructure and highlighted the Quad’s shared commitment on protecting and expanding trusted partners. Together, we are working to enhance secure connectivity and support innovation and economic growth across the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
The participants reaffirmed their commitment to building secure and resilient digital ecosystems through continued US-India and Quad partnerships.
