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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhen a subsea internet cable fails, crews locate the fault from shore, send a specialist repair ship to the area, recover and remove the damaged cable, splice in a replacement section, test the link, and lower it back to the seabed. The operation can take days or weeks; the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) gives a broad mean repair-time estimate of one to three weeks, not a guaranteed deadline.
How a subsea cable repair works
A submarine cable repair is a coordinated operation between terminal stations on land and a cable repair vessel at sea. The shore team narrows down where the fault is; the ship then confirms the location and carries out the physical recovery, replacement, testing, and redeployment. The exact method depends on the cable system, depth, seabed, and damage.
1. Detect the fault and estimate its position
Terminal stations monitor cable performance and use electrical or optical measurements to estimate where a fault has occurred. On a repeatered system, supervisory equipment may first narrow the problem to a section between repeaters. End sections can be investigated from shore using suitable electrical measurements and optical reflectometry. The maintenance authority sends the estimated position to the repair vessel. ITU-T G.971
2. Prepare the vessel and locate the cable
A cable repair operator mobilizes a suitable ship under the system’s maintenance arrangements. Before departure, the crew prepares spare cable and subsea components, and reviews permits, charts, and information about the cable route. At the suspected site, the team may use electroding, an ROV, or recovery and testing to pinpoint the fault. Electroding can help a vessel detect or follow the cable; it does not repair it. KIS-ORCA’s repair overview
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3. Recover the cable and remove the failed section
In a common grapnel procedure, the ship tows a cutting grapnel across the seabed to catch and cut the cable, then uses a holding grapnel to engage and lift a cable end. A buried cable may require an ROV to locate or cut it. Crews manage tension carefully while bringing cable aboard, test the recovered section, and cut away the failed portion. They may buoy one end while working on the other. The equipment and sequence vary with depth and seabed conditions. ITU-T G.971; KIS-ORCA
4. Splice in spare cable and test the repair
On board, technicians prepare the cable ends and join them to a spare section using procedures specific to that cable. KDDI’s description of its repair method includes optical-fiber and electrical testing, recovering both ends, joining the spare cable, and a final check between the landing stations. A repair may need more cable length than the removed section; on a deep-sea span, an added repeater may sometimes be needed to compensate for attenuation. KDDI Cableships & Subsea Engineering; ITU-T G.971
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5. Lower the repaired cable and rebury it if needed
After testing confirms communications are normal, the vessel carefully releases the repaired cable back to the seabed. If the affected route was buried, an ROV may use water jets to restore burial where conditions allow. KDDI Cableships & Subsea Engineering; KIS-ORCA
How long does a submarine cable repair take?
ITU-T G. Supplement 41 (July 2024) estimates a mean time to repair of one to three weeks. That is a broad estimate, not a service-level commitment or a forecast for any particular outage. The actual time depends on the fault’s location and cause, water depth, ship availability, and weather. Finding and reaching the site, permits, and the work needed to recover and redeploy the cable also shape the schedule. ITU-T G. Supplement 41
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Why repair methods and timelines differ
- Depth: Shallow-water and deep-sea recovery use different procedures. A deep repair may require extra cable and, in some cases, a repeater to address added attenuation. ITU-T G.971
- Burial and seabed: A buried cable can be harder to locate and may need ROV assistance for cutting and reburial. Rocky seabed can limit burial. KIS-ORCA; ITU-T G. Supplement 41
- Access and logistics: Vessel availability, distance to the fault, weather, and permits can delay work. ITU-T G. Supplement 41; KIS-ORCA
- Fault type and position: A fault in an end section may be localized differently from one in a repeatered span, and the damage determines how much cable must be removed. ITU-T G.971; ITU-T G. Supplement 41
What causes subsea cable faults, and how is risk reduced?
ITU-T G. Supplement 41 identifies external hazards such as bottom fishing and trawling, ship anchors, ocean currents, earthquakes and volcanoes; it also notes thermal failures from overload. The same 2024 guidance states that “Nearly 90 percent of failures are caused by fishing activities and ship anchors’ damage.” Treat that as the figure reported by the ITU guidance, not as a timeless or independently recalculated statistic. ITU-T G. Supplement 41
Risk reduction includes burying cable in shallow water where seabed conditions permit and choosing routes that avoid geological hazards. Network operators can also build route diversity so traffic may be rerouted when one cable is out of service; rerouting can help maintain connectivity but does not physically repair the damaged cable. ITU-T G. Supplement 41
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