7 Negligent injury, such as that caused by an errant fishing net, is considered a misdemeanor. 6 The Submarine Cables Act of 1886 states that any person who attempts or succeeds at injuring a submarine cable so as to “interrupt or embarrass” the telegraphic communication is guilty of a misdemeanor offense and liable to a fine or imprisonment. The first mention of submarine cables in United States government legislation arose in 1884 when President Grover Cleveland issued a proclamation acknowledging a legal precedent for reimbursed repair work following negligent or willful disruption of a cable. The following document examines the history of submarine cables through the lens of United States legislation, from British domination to our present privatized boom. Permitting is an ongoing concern which has been passed through the hands of several federal bodies and requires the input of many disparate departments. Following that, there was a long silence until the 1990s when our understandings of environmental protection called for stronger legislation in that arena. In the United States, there is a rich history of legislation and reports detailing submarine cables from their infancy until around 1920. However, many of the more fragile coastline habitats fall within territorial waters. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) have laid out international directives for cable-laying and suggested treatments. 5 Presently, modern cables are engineered to be heavy enough to rest on the seafloor without tangling but remain approximately the width of a garden hose (see figure 2). During the 1950s, it was not uncommon for whales to get tangled in lightweight telegraph cables. Their installation and maintenance alone can cause serious habitat disruptions, particularly to benthic species or larger mammals that traverse oceanic zones. The geographies of cable landing sites can be complex and have an impact on the surrounding environment. Demand for international bandwidth doubled from 2014 to 2016 and is steadily increasing. Large software companies like Facebook and Microsoft are also taking the plunge, investing in their own proprietary submarine cables. We are in the midst of a “cable boom,” as countries and telecommunication companies rush to supply bandwidth to users. As fiber optics and the World Wide Web have expanded, demand for cable use routes have grown and diversified. Increasing globalization cemented the need for reliable communication. Thus, as cable routes expanded they followed the trade routes of British colonial powers. The rubber was necessary for cable insulation. At first, telegram prices were so high that functional use was limited to government, business, or otherwise elite patrons.3 British colonial powers were primary drivers, incentivized by both improved communication with colonies and monopolized access to raw materials, namely rubber. In 1866, the first transatlantic cable opened the doors for telegraphic globalization and long-term social changes (see figure 1). They are a resource that has fueled globalization, enabling rapid communication over long distances. 2 Submarine cables have also been uniquely protected and promoted by international treaties since 1884. The first cable crossing relied on a single copper wire insulated with gutta-percha, a latex derivative, and has since evolved into fiber optics that can accommodate streaming video in the blink of an eye. 1 There are more than a million kilometers of cables linking every continent except Antarctica like threads in a web. Over 95 percent of all international communications are routed through submarine cables, which are an almost invisible infrastructure upon which global trade depends. The following document examines the evolution of submarine cables from the first transatlantic copper wire cable to the present fiber-optic cable boom through the legislative lens. Throughout history, legislative concerns surrounding submarine cables have shifted from colonial monopolies to environmental health and national security. Further, they are uniquely represented in state, federal, and international legislation. Despite their impact, they are seldom a matter of public interest or debate. Submarine cables represent an invisible yet crucial infrastructure that enable all manner of global communication. Unspooling the Legacy of Submarine Cables
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