Satellite internet like Starlink won’t make undersea cables extinct

Thousands of satellites were launched last year to build internet services for people on Earth. Elon Musk's Starlink currently has approximately 2,000 satellites in orbit and will have 42,000 satellites by mid-2027. Amazon's Project Kuiper constellation plans to launch more than 3,000 satellites, while OneWeb in the UK has already launched more than 400 satellites.

According to industry experts, these satellite constellations would not lead to the extinction of giant undersea telecoms cables. Currently, there are more than 400 undersea internet cables connecting the world. 

Brian Lavallée, a senior director at Ciena has said that the satellite internet network and undersea cables are highly complementary and not intended to compete against each other. He further said that the satellite networks are viable for the small islands with no submarine cables.

Satellite networks have clear advantages over submarine cable networks. If the satellite network is already servicing a particular area, users can simply purchase an up-link kit and go online. Currently, it takes weeks or months to lay an underwater internet cable without a prior planning process. This can take up to two years to clear permitting, environmental, and regulatory hurdles.

Starlink helped to restore the internet connection of Tonga in January when it was hit by a volcanic eruption that triggered a tsunami and severed its 514-mile undersea internet cable. It cut off its communication links to the rest of the world.