In 2006, then-Senator Ted Stevens coined an infamous term for how to understand the internet: It's a "series of tubes." The funny thing is, that's a fairly accurate description. Underneath the world's oceans, miles and miles of fiber optic-cables send packets of information from one location to the next, serving as the backbone of the internet as know it. This infrastructure is delicate, too: Memorably, a 2022 volcanic eruption cut off the island of Tonga from web access for an extended period of time. Samanth Subramanian is the author of The Web Beneath the Waves: The Fragile Cables that Connect Our World, a recent book that explains, in detail, that the Internet is, and has never been, truly weightless or wireless. In fact, the system in place right now is pretty old school and resembles the telegraph cable network of yore. We talk to Subramanian about the strange contradictions of the undersea cable system, how much basic marine geography — like the Strait of Hormuz or the Suez Canal — informs where cables are laid, and how hard it is protect this vulnerable and vital infrastructure. Chapters: 00:00:00 - Subsea Cable Vulnerabilities 00:02:09 - Physical Infrastructure of the Digital World 00:08:08 - Cable Technology and Installation Process 00:12:08 - Why Cables Over Satellites 00:13:44 - Evolution of Cable Funding Models 00:16:28 - Redundancy and Natural Monopoly Economics 00:19:46 - Geographic Constraints and Choke Points 00:23:02 - Cable Repair Methods 00:24:44 - Current Vulnerabilities and Weaknesses 00:30:57 - Geopolitical Tensions and Sabotage 00:33:03 - Alternative Routes and Solutions 00:35:46 - Future of Satellite vs. Cable Internet 00:37:08 - AI Impact on Cable Industry 00:39:33 - Private Corporate Networks Watch Bloomberg Vodcasts: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0MS0Tqk_zQl1LVVTdWuH2Di Watch more Odd Lots episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0OJbRzA6nWybYiThLJd_ouz Bloomberg's Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway analyze the weird patterns, the complex issues and the newest market crazes. Join the conversation every Monday and Thursday for interviews with the most interesting minds in finance, economics and markets. Join the conversation: discord.gg/oddlots Subscribe to Bloomberg Podcasts: https://bit.ly/BloombergPodcasts Check out more Odd Lots: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe4PRejZgr0MuA6M0zkZyy-99-qc87wKV Get the Odd Lots newsletter: https://www.bloomberg.com/account/newsletters/oddlots And for all things Odd Lots, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/oddlots #Investing #Markets #Finance #Bloomberg #Podcast #OddLots Visit us: https://www.bloomberg.com/podcasts For coverage on news, markets and more: http://www.bloomberg.com/video Visit our other YouTube channels: Bloomberg Television: https://www.youtube.com/@markets Bloomberg Originals: https://www.youtube.com/bloomberg