Picture story: how undersea internet cables are repaired

The recent sub-sea cable breakages have highlighted the world of undersea fibre-optic cables and their importance in the communications between businesses, financial districts and consumers around the world.

These vital information pipelines are the main way economies are linked and the recent cuts left 75 million with limited communication.

The following pictures illustrate the repair work that has been completed to the cables by Interoute.

Through international waters, across geopolitical boundaries the laying of a new fibre-optic cable is no small undertaking.

Sub-sea installation - sub-sea systems that house the cable, the sub-sea ships with appropriate equipment to lay the cable.

The cable itself, design and manufacture – for example eight strands, each up to 400km long.

As the undersea cables carry about 95% of the world's telephone and internet traffic, any widespread internet downtime can have devastating economic implications.