The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approved the final report of the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience (IAB) in Geneva last Friday, a document that establishes recommendations to strengthen the resilience of submarine cables, the infrastructure that carries more than 99% of global data traffic.

The report was adopted during the final meeting held on Friday as part of the WSIS Forum 2026, marking the conclusion of a two-year work program jointly promoted by the ITU and the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC).

The report identifies the main challenges to the resilience of submarine systems as high exposure to physical risks, longer repair times, the geographic concentration of infrastructure and the dependence of many countries on a limited number of cables, a situation that is particularly critical for small island developing states, least developed countries and other regions with limited connectivity.

Convergencialatina spoke with Tomas Lamanauskas, deputy secretary-general of the ITU, who highlighted the successful conclusion of last week’s meeting due to the “strong level of consensus” among countries that are not always aligned in their positions. He recalled that around 42 IAB members worked on the recommendations, representing different countries and organizations: “They understood that there was a shared problem and that there should be shared solutions. And they understood the need for these solutions to be implemented,” he said.

One factor that contributed to this consensus was that the discussion focused on resilience rather than security. In other words, the focus was on strengthening the resilience of submarine cable networks rather than on incidents and those responsible for them. This kept geopolitical issues, sabotage and disputes linked to conflicts between countries out of the debate.

For Lamanauskas, the final document recognizes clear challenges. First, the need to establish a clear point of responsibility regarding who is responsible for submarine cable resilience. In this regard, he warned: “Few countries establish this clearly.” A second challenge is recognizing that these cables constitute critical infrastructure.

“The report is intended for national governments and regional authorities, and also for the private sector to understand the risks. It also serves as a toolkit to guide the decisions that need to be addressed and as a guide for international cooperation,” Lamanauskas said in the interview with this outlet.

Three areas. The recommendations report released last Friday identifies three areas of action. The first aims to facilitate the deployment and repair of submarine cables through agile and coordinated regulatory processes. It proposes that governments establish clear and predictable regulatory frameworks, simplify authorization procedures and designate single points of contact to coordinate the different authorities involved. It also recommends accelerating the issuance of permits for repair activities, facilitating the entry and operation of specialized vessels, and promoting greater cooperation among countries to reduce response times to service disruptions.

The second area focuses on risk identification, monitoring and mitigation. The document calls for periodic vulnerability assessments, stronger information sharing among governments, operators and other stakeholders, and the incorporation of monitoring tools to detect threats in advance. It also recommends developing national risk management plans, improving incident preparedness and promoting joint exercises to coordinate responses among public authorities, industry and international organizations.

The third set of recommendations seeks to increase connectivity and the geographic diversity of infrastructure. The report states that reducing dependence on a limited number of routes and landing stations is a key element in improving the resilience of international networks. In this regard, it promotes the development of new routes, increased infrastructure redundancy and investment to connect underserved regions. It also suggests that expansion strategies incorporate environmental and climate criteria from the planning stages and that international cooperation mechanisms be strengthened to mobilize funding, share best practices and support countries facing greater connectivity challenges, particularly small island states, least developed countries and other vulnerable regions.

From paper to action. During a meeting held last week, Sandra Maximiano, president of the National Communications Authority of Portugal (Autoridad Nacional de Comunicaciones de Portugal, Anacom), said the initiative evolved from a technical discussion into a global movement to transform international cooperation into lasting resilience.

The official, who also serves as co-chair of the IAB, highlighted Portugal’s position as a gateway between Africa, America and Europe. In fact, 85% of submarine cables pass through the European country’s exclusive economic zone. For this reason, Anacom conducted a study focused on submarine cables, which concluded that this infrastructure should not be considered as individual systems but rather as a global ecosystem and therefore requires international coordination. At this point, she recalled that satellites should also begin to be treated under these terms.

“Resilience must be considered from the design stage. Route diversity and cooperation emerge as other points of extreme importance. We must move from paper to practice: for example, in Portugal, national exercises have been carried out among different organizations and forces for coordination,” she said.

As an example of route diversity, Maximiano mentioned the Ellalink cable, which connects Europe and South America and whose main European landing point in Portugal is Sines.

Meanwhile, IAB co-chair and Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said the approved recommendations represent a milestone in strengthening resilience through greater international cooperation and shared responsibility. “It is a blueprint for governments to become involved in protecting submarine cables,” he said.