Bloomberg Podcasts · Samanth Subramanian on the Undersea Cables That Keep the Internet Alive | Odd Lots

1. 1. The internet relies on extensive physical subsea fiber optic cables, not merely ephemeral wireless connections.
2. 2. Modern fiber optic cables, hair-thin glass strands, transmit data using light pulses, exponentially increasing capacity.
3. 3. Major tech companies now finance and own most new subsea cables, controlling significant global internet infrastructure.
4. 4. Geopolitical tensions risk bifurcating the internet, with parallel, superfluous cable systems forming in contested regions.
5. 5. The AI boom is significantly accelerating demand for new subsea cables, reversing earlier industry predictions of overcapacity.