The report came from the recently concluded Google Cloud Roadshow event held in Boston. Dan Belcher, Google product manager talked about the company's shark-proof cable tactics. As sharks are believed to be attracted to the cables' magnetic fields, they must have interpreted them as akin to a struggling fish.
The sharks' fondness for underwater cables had been traced back to the 1980s when several "shark gnawing" incidents have been reported. In 1987, the New York Times reported that the fiber optic cables, which had been newly installed that time, were being bitten by sharks. The incident had resulted to phone and computer issues around the world. The cables linked the U.S., Japan, and Europe.
In 1985, some embedded shark teeth had been spotted in an experimental line placed in the sea off the Canary Islands.
Theories that explain the sharks' cable biting behavior revolve mostly on the electromagnetic fields found on the wires. Sharks have the unique talent in detecting bioelectric fields that are usually generated by a fish. However, they don't know how to discern whether the bioelectric fields that come from the cables are the same as the ones generated by a fish.
Other people are saying that the sharks are biting the cables out of curiosity. "If you had just a piece of plastic out there shaped like a cable, there's a good chance they'd bite that too," said Chris Lowe who runs the Shark Lab found at California State University in Long Beach.
However, sharks are not the only threats to the cables. According to The Guardian, these underwater cables are vulnerable to water pressure at depth, earthquakes, anchors, and fishing trawlers. On the official International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) site, it says that approximately 70 percent of all cable-inflicted damages is caused by the so-called "external aggression" such as fishing nets or boats that could have mutilated the cables.
Google is hoping to put an end to all these by reinforcing some of the world's data cables that are installed under the sea. The fiber optic cables, which are relevant in carrying Internet traffic across the world, are covered with several "anti-impact and anti-strong movement" layers to prevent the glass fibers from breaking. Google is even working with partner cable companies sprawled across the Pacific to help them with the reinforcement. The procedure involves adding Kevlar-like matting to the cables to prevent them from damage. Lastly, Google is adding "FASTER," a stronger type of an underwater cable, which is supposed to run between the U.S.' West Coast and some parts of Japan in order to provide Asia with better Internet access, perhaps something that can make their Internet speed reach up to one gigabit per second.
