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Four undersea data cables cut? Edit: FIVE!

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 11:28 pm
by Chalks
Three undersea cables cut. Guess what:
Reuters wrote:The International Cable Protection Committee, an association of 86 submarine cable operators dedicated to safeguarding submarine cables, says more than 95 percent of transoceanic telecoms and data traffic are carried by submarine cables. (emphasis added by me)
What a strange coincidence, right?

Wait.
Wait just one minute
FOUR cables have been cut in about one week??? edit: Ahha! good? source, original source


Is it just me, or is that not fishy? Hehe, fish. in the ocean. I couldn't find any source more reliable than engadget.com for the fourth cable story, but it seems like it is true. Then again, major news services haven't picked it up yet, so... who knows. The main reason I'm posting this is because of a comment on this story that was posted on digg:
YouEEEeeediot wrote:Hear that sound? It's the collective L O L from the people who have had their jobs outsourced.
LOL

Re: FOUR undersea data cables cut?

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 12:09 am
by Chris Corbyn
Yeah that is a bit fishy.

Re: FOUR undersea data cables cut?

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 12:45 am
by Christopher
"Hello ma'am, we're here from the International Cable Protection Committee ... we understand there is something fishy with your submarine cables. Do you mind if we come in a take a look around?"

No ... wait ... how about ...

Look!

Under the waves!

It's International Cable Protection Man! .... dedicated to truth, justice, and safeguarding submarine cables everywhere!

Re: FOUR undersea data cables cut?

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:27 am
by Jenk
It's those sharks with frickin' laser beams. Pesky critters.

Re: FOUR undersea data cables cut?

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:28 am
by shiznatix
for all of the conspiracy theories flying around about this, wouldn't someone be able to just go dive down there and be like "hummm, giant box were it should be... and it has a USA flag on it" or something, snap a few pictures, and prove the theory?

never assign to malice what can be explained by incompetence.

Re: FOUR undersea data cables cut?

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:51 am
by Benjamin
The right guy on the right boat working for the right agency could easily drop an anchor at the right time. I know this.

Re: FOUR undersea data cables cut?

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:13 am
by shiznatix
astions wrote:The right guy on the right boat working for the right agency could easily drop an anchor at the right time. I know this.
Yes of course this can easily happen but i keep hearing about how either the British government or USA cut them so they can go down there and tap them whilst repairing them. Couldn't someone go down in some scuba gear and look at where they were cut by an anchor and be like "does this look tapped" because if it is tapped it would be fairly obvious no? There would have to be some box or something.

I remember learning about how the USA tapped Russia's undersea copper cables by putting a giganto drum next to them that was able to record the electric currents running through them thus being able to make a copy of everything that was going through them. Then they would go back after some time and pick up the drum and hooray, they now are smarter. I know thats not what would be happening with fiber cables but there would have to be some physical evidence left behind.

Also, only 3 cables were cut. The 4th was taken offline because of power issues. This kinda makes sense because wouldn't it have to bear a lot more load since the other 3 cables were missing and thus more power and whatnot. Probably just ended up failing because of old hardware at the ends. Dunno, maybe im completely wrong but it just seams more logical then conspiracy.

Re: FOUR undersea data cables cut?

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 am
by Bill H
I remember learning about how the USA tapped Russia's undersea copper cables...
Yep, I know this rumor to be true because I was there. In the late 50's and early 60's USN submarines were putting taps on Russian underwater cables, and I served on one of those submarines. Diesel-electric boats, no less. Contrary to common opinion, we spent pretty much all of our time on the surface, diving only to avoid detection and when we went inshore to make the taps. Diesel boats could only stay submerged for about 20 hours (and that only in emergencies), and could only travel at 3-4 knots when submerged.

Re: FOUR undersea data cables cut?

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 10:54 pm
by Chalks
Make that five

another source
more sources

I think I'm going to start making webpages about how yet another got cut. It's like... a fashion statement now. >.>

Re: Four undersea data cables cut? Edit: FIVE!

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 11:29 pm
by Chris Corbyn
You know, this morning (Melbourne time) I couldn't access google.com or devnetwork.net... I wonder if that's at all related? I know they were running because if I SSH'd to my server in the UK and tried accessing google and devnetwork it worked fine... just the route I was taking from here in melbourne didn't work.

Re: Four undersea data cables cut? Edit: FIVE!

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 1:25 am
by alex.barylski
I'm right in the center of North America...I haven't noticed anything...

Having only quickly glazed over the article...what is the gist of the story, that the massive data cables which stretch over the Atlantic have been severed or just cables entering UAE/Middle East?? I fail to see how terrorists could cut lines in the atlantic as I'm sure it would require quite an effort and surely coast gaurds or UAV's surverying the area would see any suspicious activity, no???

Re: Four undersea data cables cut? Edit: FIVE!

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:34 am
by seodevhead
The Loch Net Monster strikes again.

Re: Four undersea data cables cut? Edit: FIVE!

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:57 am
by Kieran Huggins
seodevhead wrote:The Loch Net Monster strikes again.
8O

:bow:

Re: Four undersea data cables cut? Edit: FIVE!

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:49 am
by RobertGonzalez
+1 Khugs' +1 to seodevhead. That was spectacular.

Re: Four undersea data cables cut? Edit: FIVE!

Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 12:50 pm
by Christopher
Och! Tis' nie wonder tha a body can ne're see Nessie in the wee hours o' the Loch! Wot a stramash! The auld lass hey been on a scunner. Sae that's wha' all the palaver is aboot!

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/0 ... e-cab.html
"Cable cuts happen on average once every three days," Beckert said. There are 25 large ships that do nothing but fix cable cuts and bends, Beckert adds.