Sensor Monitoring and Reliable Telecommunications (SMART) Submarine Cables and Marine Scientific Research

Subsea cables date to the 19th century with telegraphic use and have served various roles, including military. However, they rose to prominence in communications with the Internet’s creation in 1980s. Today, global telecommunications, the Internet, and financial and security systems rely on subsea cables, which handle about 97% of international communications. A new development enhances subsea cable technology by adding oceanographic sensors to collect ocean, environment, and climate data. These are called ‘SMART (Sensor Monitoring and Reliable Telecommunications) cables. Adding monitoring to subsea cables is a cheap way to improve marine environmental understanding through data collection, transforming them into dual-purpose systems combining data gathering and telecommunications. This dual role raises legal questions—primarily whether SMART cables collecting marine data qualify as scientific research needing coastal State consent in certain maritime zones. The subsea cable industry is lukewarm on SMART cables, fearing coastal State laws may hinder operations which adds complication. Security concerns over subsea cables increases with geopolitical tensions and deliberate targeting, such as the October 2023 Baltic Connector incident. Adding new technology to an established one raises several issues. Though SMART cables offer strong scientific benefits for understanding the (marine) environment, caution is needed as legal hurdles arise.