The ‘arteries of the internet’ hidden under Southport’s beach

Transatlantic fibre-optic cables are pivotal to our lives. And two of them arrive on the Merseyside coast

Dear members – Southport isn’t known by many people as a place of digital innovation. It’s a place of fun fairs and days out at the beach. But deep beneath the sand of Southport’s beaches, two fibre-optic cables complete a transatlantic journey from the United States and Canada. They carry data: Netflix true crime documentaries, 2am Google searches and unnecessarily hostile exchanges on local Facebook groups all pass through their thin tubing. Today’s piece by Jack looks at these cables, and the significance for Southport of having them on (or under) its doorstep.