We started collecting our monthly dose of telecom reading recommendations when it occurred to us: this reading list is somewhat despairing.
Earthquake-based cable outages, infrastructure security concerns—a headline that literally includes the words "solar catastrophe." We don't mean to bring the room down with our July picks, but maybe have something lighter queued up for later.
Parts of Tonga without internet after cables damaged and Starlink ordered to cease operations | The Guardian
Stop us if you've heard this one before: Tonga's only domestic submarine cable suffered a massive outage, severely impacting telephone and internet services. (Flashing back to our recommended reading list of January 2022 for no reason in particular.)
The culprit this time around seems to be a June 29 earthquake.
How China and Russia could hobble the internet | The Economist
This story is as-advertised, adjudicating concerns about the security of submarine cables, referencing recent faults that grabbed headlines.
GMU Scientists Are Trying to Prevent a Solar Catastrophe | Washingtonian
Here's something to think about: solar flares can interfere with digital infrastructure. This is something that could have real-world consequences for internet, satellite communications, and many electronics.
This Washingtonian article explores research out of George Mason University on solar flares and so-called coronal mass ejections that can impact Earth’s electromagnetic field.
Just some casual high-energy astrophysics talk.
The Impact of Submarine Cables on Internet Access Price, and the Role of Competition and Regulation | World Bank Group
After reading about potential solar catastrophes and critical undersea infrastructure as military targets, isn't it refreshing to read about improving the affordability of internet access? It's like a little treat.
The next front in U.S.-China tech battle? Underwater cables that power the global internet | CNBC
Another entry in the infrastructure and global diplomacy conversation, specifically as it pertains to tensions between the U.S. and China over submarine cable infrastructure. This one gets extra credit for leveraging good old submarinecablemap.com.