As attacks on undersea cables, the world's core communications networks, increase, Japan is moving to seek cooperation with the European Union (EU) in cable protection, laying, and maintenance technologies. Analysts say the aim is to secure routes that avoid Russia and thereby resolve geopolitical instability.
According to Nikkei Asia on the 27th (local time), Japan and the EU plan to discuss building a new undersea cable route that will connect Japan and Europe along the Arctic Ocean–North America route.
The matter is expected to be included in a joint statement to be announced after the Japan-EU Digital Partnership Council ministerial meeting in May. The two sides are expected to agree to jointly research early detection technologies for cable damage, focusing on rapid responses to cable cuts, damage, and the approach of suspicious vessels.
An undersea cable is communications infrastructure installed beneath the sea. According to Nikkei Asia, about 500 undersea cables with a total length of roughly 1.5 million km are installed worldwide, mainly concentrated in the Pacific and Atlantic. Undersea cables transmit data for international phone calls, internet data, financial transactions, and military communications, and handle 99% of international communications.
Japan and Europe are powerhouses in undersea cables. France has Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), and Japan has NEC, among other leading undersea cable manufacturing and installation companies. According to Nikkei Asia, ASN ranks No. 1 with about a 40% share of the global market for undersea cable installation, while Japan's NEC accounts for about 20%.
Cooperation between Japan and the EU on undersea cables is seen as a move to resolve geopolitical instability. As major countries increasingly regard communications infrastructure as a security asset, cooperation on undersea cable defense is also strengthening. Experts note that in the event of military conflict, undersea cables can become targets for adversaries, as they are effective in disrupting an opponent's command communications and halting economic activity.
Since 2022, when Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, cases of damage to undersea cables have occurred in the Baltic Sea. In Jan. 2025, an undersea cable connecting Latvia and Sweden was damaged. Taiwan authorities arrested a Chinese captain on suspicion of cutting cables in Taiwan waters, and eavesdropping equipment was also found.
Keio University Professor Tsuchiya Motohiro said, "Undersea cables are core infrastructure that supports all cross-border activities, including financial transactions, trade, and military operations," adding, "If cable cuts occur in succession, they could cause serious disruption to the global economy."
Nikkei Asia assessed that installing cables along an Arctic Ocean route that avoids waters near Russia could reduce geopolitical risks. It also said that if the two countries' plans are realized, communications speed between Japan and Europe is expected to improve by about 30%.