By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The International Advisory
Body (IAB) on Submarine Cable Resilience has published its final report,
outlining practical recommendations aimed at strengthening the security and
reliability of the global submarine telecommunications cable network.
The report, titled Report
of the Working Groups 2026, marks the conclusion of a two-year
collaborative initiative established through a partnership between the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Cable
Protection Committee (ICPC).
The document presents
action-oriented recommendations focused on improving the resilience of
submarine cable infrastructure, including faster deployment and repair
processes, enhanced risk identification and mitigation measures, and greater
geographical diversity to support global connectivity.
Submarine cables carry the
vast majority of international data traffic and serve as critical
infrastructure supporting global digital communication, financial systems,
cloud services and online platforms.
The initiative brought
together governments, regulators, industry leaders, academics, technical
experts and international organisations to address vulnerabilities affecting
submarine cable networks and develop coordinated solutions.
The work was led by IAB
Co-Chairs Dr. Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation
and Digital Economy, and Professor Sandra Maximiano, Chair of Portugal’s
National Communications Authority (ANACOM).
ITU Deputy Secretary-General
Tomas Lamanauskas and ICPC Legal Adviser Kent Bressie supported the initiative
as Co-Executive Secretaries, guiding the work of the Advisory Body from its
establishment through the completion of the report.
The final report reflects
contributions from approximately 175 experts and 41 members of the
International Advisory Body representing different sectors and regions
worldwide.
Professor Maximiano
highlighted the scale of collaboration behind the report, noting that achieving
consensus among such a large and diverse group of contributors represented a
significant accomplishment.
The ICPC said the
publication of the report marks the beginning of the next phase, with the focus
now shifting towards implementation of the recommendations by governments,
regulators, telecommunications operators and international partners.
The organisation reaffirmed
its commitment to continued collaboration with the ITU and stakeholders
worldwide to strengthen the resilience of submarine cable systems and safeguard
the future of global digital connectivity.
