European Telcos and Cable Firms Encourage More Cooperation on Subsea Cable Security

By Andrew Wooden, Telecoms.com
April 10, 2025

The companies – namely Alcatel Submarine Networks, GlobalConnect, NKT, Orange, Proximus, Sparkle, Telefónica, Telenor, and Vodafone – argue that additional measures are needed to further develop a more coordinated approach to securing Europe’s cross border networks.

The letter reads: “At this crucial time for Europe’s security and resilience, we commend your efforts to strengthen collective defence and protect critical infrastructure. Subsea cables play a vital role in Europe’s connectivity, competitiveness, defence readiness, and economic stability. We recommend the EU/EEA and UK authorities as well as NATO renew their collaboration to address this situation effectively, together with the industry stakeholders from the EU and from the UK.

“With the rise in hybrid threats, including incidents affecting subsea cables in the Baltic and North Sea, we emphasize the importance of enhanced, coordinated action to safeguard Europe’s cross-border networks. The EU Action Plan on Cable Security provides a clear approach to further increase the resilience and security of subsea cables.”

In February Swedish police�investigated suspected sabotage of undersea telecom cables operated by Finnish cable operator Cinia at the Baltic Sea. In response, the European Commission announced a plan to ramp up security, involving nearly €1 billion for the protection of the undersea cables and to boost surveillance in the Baltic Sea and the region.

Magnus Brunner, Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration said at the time: “The Commission and EU agencies are working closely with Member States to help them anticipate and prepare for such threats. The Action Plan for Better Security of Submarine Cables will strengthen our capacity to prevent, detect and respond to emerging hybrid threats. Countering hybrid threats and protecting our critical infrastructure are also important elements of our future Internal Security Strategy.”

The letter today states that it is “crucial to engage industry stakeholders and establish a clear roadmap for implementation” of the Action Plan. The entire subsea cable ecosystem must be regarded as critical infrastructure, it says, and argues that it is essential to collectively ensure the “appropriate level of security screening, protection, and investments into resilience.”

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