NATO project aims to reroute internet into space in case undersea cables are compromised

A new NATO-funded initiative aims to make the internet less vulnerable to disruption by rerouting the flow of information into space in the event that undersea cables are attacked or accidentally severed, the alliance announced in a press release on 6 August 2024.

The USD 2.5 million (EUR 2.3 million) project, launched on 31 July 2024, was partially funded by NATO’s Science for Peace and Security programme (SPS).

“Through this SPS-supported project, NATO is bringing together allies, prominent institutions including the Cornell, John Hopkins and Swedish Defence universities and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology as well as telecommunications companies to address the urgent need for a more resilient internet infrastructure worldwide,” Dr Eyup Turmus, SPS Advisor and Programme Manager at NATO, was quoted as saying in an alliance press release.

The project aims to produce a working prototype within two years, with a demonstration planned at the Blekinge Institute of Technology: a NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) Maritime Research Centre in Sweden.

The Hybrid Space/Submarine Architecture Ensuring Infosec of Telecommunications (HEIST) consortium leading the project aims to develop a hybrid network combining submarine cables and satellite communications to ensure a continuous flow of data. It will bring together existing technologies, address legal and jurisdictional challenges, and foster international collaboration between NATO allies and partners, including the United States, Iceland, Sweden and Switzerland.