NATO wants to build an alternative satellite-based internet that can be used in an emergency
- Project HEIST aims to reduce the physical sabotage of underwater cables
- HEIST is expected to use laser optics instead of radio
- Exabytes of data flow via more than 1 million km of fiber optic cables around the world
NATO is reportedly developing a satellite-based backup for global Internet communications to address the vulnerabilities exposed by recent submarine cable disruptions.
The project, known as HEIST (hybrid space-submarine architecture ensuring telecommunications infosec), comes in response to the February 2024 incident when the cargo ship Rubymar, hit by a Houthi missile attack, left its anchor over the bottom of the Red Sea towed and three fiber optic cables.
A report from IEEE spectrum claims that these cables carried approximately a quarter of all internet traffic between Europe and Asia, necessitating data rerouting and highlighting the fragile nature of the global internet infrastructure.
Ready to test
More than 95% of intercontinental Internet traffic depends on submarine fiber optic cables, more than 1.2 million kilometers of which extend across the planet. These thin cables lie unburied across deep seabeds, making them vulnerable to accidental damage and sabotage.
The Rubymar incident was unintentional, but Western officials have evidence of deliberate undersea cable sabotage by state actors, such as Russia and China. NATO has already announced plans to prevent this in the future using submarine drones.
HEIST aims to address such threats by ensuring that critical internet routes remain operational even when fiber optic lines are compromised.
The project has two main objectives: to quickly detect cable damage and accurately locate breaks, and to expand the capacity to route data through alternative channels, including satellites. The focus will be on redirecting high-priority data to satellites, reducing dependence on vulnerable seabed cables.
The project will begin testing at the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden in 2025. Researchers from multiple countries, including the US, Sweden, Iceland and Switzerland, will work to develop faster fracture detection systems that can pinpoint damage to within one meter.
The researchers will also investigate satellite-based failsafes using higher bandwidth laser optics, which can transmit much more data than current radio-based satellite systems.
Although satellite throughput is limited compared to fiber, the HEIST team is focused on expanding bandwidth through technologies such as infrared lasers, which are already used on Starlink satellites.
While there is currently no single solution, NATO’s goal is to create a diverse and resilient network that ensures secure global communications in emergencies.