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The Internet Under the Sea
What powers the global internet? The answer might surprise you: not satellites, but hundreds of thin cables that run along the ocean floor. They’re an absolutely essential technology that’s also incredibly fragile — so fragile that in the beginning, most people thought they couldn't possibly work. Today on the show: the story of a man who did think they could work… and the lengths he went to to try and connect the world.Guests:Bill Burns, former BBC broadcast engineer and founder of atlantic-cable.com Cyrus Field IV, great-great-grandson of Cyrus FieldAllison Marsh, professor at the University of South Carolina and historian of technology Ben Roberts, strategic advisor on Subsea Cable Economics for Connectivity at UNICEF who has been building cable network in Africa for the past two decadesTo access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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The Internet Under the Sea
October 23, 20253:10 AM ET
[Ramtin Arablouei, co-host and co-producer of Throughline.]
The Internet Under the Sea
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50:47
50:47
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Transcript](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5582393)
<iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5582393/nx-s1-mx-5772578" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Transcript](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5582393)