AI · SEMICONDUCTOR · FACT CHECK
SKD WIREMostly True
As global AI expansion drives demand for massive cross-border data transmission, the condition of the world's undersea cable network is drawing scrutiny. The claim that AI infrastructure depends on submarine cables that are aging and increasingly at risk of failure has been judged "mostly true" following a review of eight primary sources.
AI services — from LLM platforms operated by companies such as Naver and Kakao to global cloud providers — rely on submarine fiber-optic cables carrying the overwhelming majority of intercontinental data traffic. Much of this infrastructure predates the current AI boom, meaning cables laid years ago for general internet traffic are now being pushed to handle AI-driven workloads.
Industry materials point to projects like Google's Firmina cable, operated by SubCom, as examples of newer submarine lines designed with higher capacity to serve AI and cloud demand. The contrast with older cable generations underscores the concern: while new builds are underway, the installed base remains dominated by aging systems.
The characterization "aging" applies unevenly across the network. Newer cable systems continue to enter service with substantially higher capacity, and operators routinely replace or add routes. The claim therefore holds as a general trend rather than a universal description of all AI-critical infrastructure.
As AI workloads concentrate traffic on key intercontinental routes, the pressure on older cable systems is expected to grow, reinforcing the case for continued investment in next-generation submarine networks.
On balance, the claim that AI infrastructure rests on an undersea cable network showing its age is mostly true.
