The TeleGeography Submarine Cable Map is our longest-running map project. We started producing submarine cable maps in 1999, and we're still going strong 25 years later.
Just for fun, let’s compare the very first edition—called the Global Communications Cable and Satellite Map—to our 2024 Submarine Cable Map.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the two:
The 1999 Global Communications Cable and Satellite Map (left) focused primarily on the physical infrastructure of submarine cable systems and geostationary satellites, chronicling how advances in fiber optic technology allowed for submarine cables to surpass satellites as the backbone of modern telecommunications.
👉 Click here to view the 1999 map in more detail.
Throughout the early 2000s, the team found themes that we’ve continued to carry throughout all our maps: data about submarine cable bandwidth growth, different prices that are available on submarine cables, and the cost to build these cables.
Between 2023 and 2025, a new cable boom valued at a record $10 billion will bring an estimated 78 systems online, measuring over 300,000 kilometers in length, a level of growth not seen in over 20 years.
Since 2018, content providers have added capacity faster than other bandwidth users. To date, Google and Meta—driven by their bandwidth-intensive requirements for search, video,and social media—have invested in 26 and 15 submarine cable systems, respectively.
This is reflected in our 2024 Submarine Cable Map, which explores global connectivity from the sea to the cloud. The map depicts 559 cable systems and 1,636 landings that are currently active or under construction. At the bottom of the map, you’ll find additional insights on cable construction, cable investments, and cloud infrastructure.
👉 Click here to view the 2024 map in more detail.
Hungry for more maps?
Download our Map Catalog, a collection of submarine cable, global internet, and regional communications maps from 1999 to 2025. It's a comprehensive portfolio of nearly 50 different TeleGeography maps in one handy PDF.
