Samanth Subramanian: “All technology is human”
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Author Samanth Subramanian highlights how modern undersea internet cables mirror 19th-century telegraph routes while reflecting current geopolitical shifts. Big Tech companies now dominate this critical infrastructure, raising questions about control and the human nature of technology.
The Unseen Foundations of the Digital Age
In his exploration of global connectivity, author Samanth Subramanian posits that "all technology is human," a sentiment that underscores the physical reality of our supposedly ethereal internet. While we often perceive the digital world as a cloud-based abstraction, it is fundamentally anchored by a vast, physical web of undersea cables. These conduits are the silent arteries through which the modern global economy pulses, yet they remain largely invisible to the average user.
The Persistence of Historical Geography
A striking revelation in Subramanian’s analysis is the remarkable continuity between the 19th-century submarine telegraph network and today’s fiber-optic infrastructure. When mapping these two eras, one finds that the routes, landing points, and density of cables remain largely unchanged. This historical inertia suggests that the primary nodes of global economic power have remained stubbornly consistent for over 150 years, anchoring modern digital trade to the same geographic corridors that defined the Victorian era's telecommunications.
Geopolitics and the South China Sea
While the macro-patterns of global infrastructure remain static, Subramanian points to a significant deviation: the proliferation of cables in the South China Sea and Southeast Asia. This dense concentration of infrastructure serves as a tangible indicator of China’s economic ascent and its expanding sphere of influence. The physical placement of these cables is not merely an engineering decision but a geopolitical statement, marking the region as a critical theater for international power dynamics and digital sovereignty.
The Rise of Big Tech Hegemony
The most profound shift in this landscape is the transition from state-led or consortium-based cable ownership to the dominance of Big Tech corporations. Entities such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon have aggressively invested in this infrastructure, effectively privatizing the backbone of the internet. This shift raises significant concerns regarding the concentration of power, as these corporations now exert unprecedented control over the physical conduits through which the world’s data flows.
Implications of Corporate Infrastructure Control
As these tech giants become the gatekeepers of undersea connectivity, the "hardest doors to open" are no longer just government agencies but private corporate entities. This centralization of infrastructure into the hands of a few firms suggests that the governance of global communication is increasingly dictated by corporate interests rather than public policy. The integration of Big Tech into the foundational layer of the internet represents a fundamental change in the nature of human connectivity.
Concluding Perspectives on Digital Infrastructure
Ultimately, Subramanian’s observations serve as a necessary reminder that the internet is a human-built system subject to the same pressures of history, geography, and power as any other industry. By tethering our digital future to the same routes used during the era of the telegraph, we are effectively reifying old power structures under the guise of technological progress. As Big Tech continues to cement its control over these undersea lifelines, the broader implications for transparency and equitable access will remain a defining challenge of the 21st century.
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