About 99% of international Internet traffic passes through submarine fiber optic cables, not through satellites. The growing use of artificial intelligence and cloud services increases the need for new communications infrastructure. However, there is only one company in the United States that has the capabilities to simultaneously manufacture and lay such cables - SubCom.
This is shown by a report by Business Insider published on October 11, 2026. Journalists visited the company's 73-year-old factory in New Hampshire and a specialized cable-laying ship to follow the production process.
Production of tens of thousands of kilometers per year
SubCom produces approximately 58,000 kilometers of submarine cables per year at its facility in Newington, New Hampshire. The company is expanding its production capacity, planning to reach about 77,000 kilometers by the end of 2026.
The production involves processing extremely thin optical fibers, which are protected by several layers of specialized materials. The cables must withstand enormous pressure, corrosion and mechanical impacts on the ocean floor.
Depending on the conditions along the route, they receive varying degrees of protection. Near the coast, where there is a risk of damage from ships and fishing activity, additional protective layers are used.
After production, the cables are loaded onto specialized ships, which lay them along predetermined routes thousands of meters below the sea surface.
Google and Microsoft increase investments
SubCom's clients include leading technology companies, including Google and Microsoft, which are investing in international communication networks.
The reason is the rapid growth in the volume of data transferred between data processing centers around the world.
The development of artificial intelligence is further accelerating this trend. Training and deploying large AI models requires high-speed connectivity between data centers, which are often located on different continents.
In August 2026, Google announced new investments in underwater communications infrastructure in North and South America. The Americas Connect project includes three new cable systems that will improve connectivity between countries in the region.
Underwater cables remain indispensable
Despite the development of satellite communications, underwater cables continue to be the main infrastructure of the global internet.
They provide significantly greater data transfer capacity, lower connection latency, and better cost-effectiveness for large volumes of traffic.
Modern underwater cable systems can carry hundreds of terabits of information per second, and their design service life is usually about 25 years.
However, their maintenance is complex and expensive. In the event of a fault, specialized ships must locate the affected section, remove the cable from the seabed and carry out the necessary repairs.
Strategic infrastructure for the global economy
The growing importance of submarine cables makes their manufacturers key players in the technology industry.
In addition to SubCom, leading international manufacturers include France's Alcatel Submarine Networks, Japan's NEC and China's HMN Technologies.
Competition is no longer limited to data transmission capacity. Underwater communication networks are of strategic importance for financial operations, international trade, national security and the functioning of cloud services.
The boom in artificial intelligence is turning this relatively unknown industry into one of the important infrastructure providers for the global digital economy.