Porto Summit drives critical cooperation on submarine cable resilience

​Governments, industry representatives and international organizations representing over 70 countries at the International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit 2026 reaffirmed today the need to strengthen support for the subsea cables at the heart of global digital communications.

A declaration issued at the summit's closing in Porto, Portugal, together with a set of recommendations developed by the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience, offered guidance to bolster international cooperation across the public and private sectors to boost the resilience of this vital shared infrastructure, ranging from shortening cable repair times to supporting underserved regions.

Submarine telecommunications cables carry most of the world's data traffic. About 500 of the cables extending more than 1.7 million kilometres serve as the backbone of global connectivity, economic and social development, and digital access for people, institutions and businesses on every continent.

"When it comes to critical digital infrastructure like submarine cables, resilience is both an end-to-end imperative and a shared responsibility," said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. "The Porto Summit outcomes reaffirm our commitment to strengthening global cooperation that can make a real difference in policy engagement, operational readiness, and investment decisions."

The summit was organized by Portugal's national regulatory authority for communications, ANACOM, in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC). It also hosted a meeting of the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience, which was established by ITU and the ICPC in 2024.

"I am deeply proud to have had the unique opportunity to guide such a distinguished group of leaders from both the public and private sectors, representing all regions of the world," said Prof. Sandra Maximiano, Chairwoman of ANACOM and Co-Chair of the Advisory Body. "The International Advisory Body was created to deliver concrete and meaningful impact, and I firmly believe it is already doing so. This impact is particularly significant for regions, countries, and remote islands where economic incentives for rapid response mechanisms are more limited, rendering them especially vulnerable to submarine cable disruptions."

Following up on last year's inaugural summit in Abuja, Nigeria, the Porto event featured the second physical meeting of the Advisory Body.

"The progress we've made over the last two years is the result of deliberate collaboration and shared purpose," said H.E. Minister Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Co-Chair of the Advisory Body. "Continued international cooperation, capacity-building, and dialogue-supported by organizations such as ITU and the ICPC-will be essential to implementing these recommendations."

The guidance presented by the Advisory Body in Porto is aimed at:

• Streamlining submarine cable permitting, maintenance, and repair processes.
• Improving legal framework and regulatory procedures.
• Encouraging cable geographic diversity and redundancy, especially for Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and underserved regions.
• Encouraging the adoption of industry best practices for assessing, mitigating and responding to risks to submarine cable infrastructure.
• Encouraging enhanced cable protection through better planning across marine sectors.
• Building cable capacity and support innovation through training and use of technologies.

Comprehensive reports based on the Advisory Body's recommendations will be presented later in the year.

"It is encouraging to see the cooperation between governments and industry in developing these recommendations," said ICPC Chairman Dean Veverka. "We look forward to their implementation to strengthen cable protection and resilience."

More than 99 per cent of international data traffic is carried by subsea cables. Over 200 faults are reported globally each year, with disruptions to communications impacting economies, access to information and public services, affecting the daily lives of billions of people.​

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Editor's notes:

• Learn more about submarine cable resilience and the ITU-ICPC International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience here.
• Read the Summit Declaration here.​
• Photos and videos can be found on Flickr and Youtube​.
  
• Watch the recording of the Summit's public sessions here.

About ITU:​

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations agency for digital technologies, driving innovation for people and the planet with 194 Member States and a membership of over 1,000 companies, universities, civil society, and international and regional organizations. Established in 1865, ITU coordinates the global use of the radio spectrum and satellite orbits, establishes international technology standards, drives universal connectivity and digital services, and is helping to make sure everyone benefits from sustainable digital transformation, including the most remote communities. From artificial intelligence (AI) to quantum, from satellites and submarine cables to advanced mobile and wireless broadband networks, ITU is committed to connecting the world and beyond. Learn more: www.itu.int

About ICPC:

The ICPC is the world's leading non-governmental organisation promoting submarine cable protection and resilience. To promote submarine cable protection and resilience, the ICPC works with its members, governments, international organisations, other marine industries, and the scientific community to: mitigate risks of natural and human damage to cables; develop recommendations and best practices for industry and governments throughout the cable project life cycle; promote scientific research addressing how cables exist in the marine environment; and promote the rule of law for the oceans. The ICPC convenes the global submarine cable industry and has more than 240 Member organisations from over 70 countries who build, operate, and maintain submarine telecommunications and power cable infrastructure. To learn more about the ICPC, visit: www.iscpc.org. ​