Russian ships are being spotted in our waters with increasing frequency. “Coincidentally,” they are also appearing near important undersea data cables. The North Sea is full of critical infrastructure, such as data cables, gas pipelines, and internet cables. Unfortunately, this infrastructure is quite vulnerable to espionage, so the Dutch research institute TNO devised a way to secure the seabed of the North Sea: using smart fiber optics!
Smart fiber optics in the North Sea
There are a lot of fiber-optic cables in the North Sea that connect us to other countries, including England. However, some of these cables are not in use and are therefore considered “dark fiber.” TNO plans to use this dark fiber to detect ships approaching the cables, in order to identify and prevent espionage in a timely manner. Using a special technique, they can use the kilometer-long cables as a kind of sensor. When laser light is sent through the cables, a reflection of that light is returned. If a sound source comes close to the cable, the cable distorts slightly, causing the reflection of the laser light to change as well. A special device, the DAS Interrogator, picks up on that change.
How do you know what causes a change?
Of course, such a change in reflection doesn’t necessarily mean we’re being spied on. After all, marine life can also cause changes in the fiber-optic cables. So how do we know what’s causing the change? With the DAS Interrogator, you can pinpoint the exact location and direction of the sound source. That way, they can quickly determine whether the source poses a threat or not. A whale swimming by, for example, is easy to identify.
Do we really need this?
You might be wondering, “Is all of this really necessary?” We can imagine that, but in the summer of 2022, the Nord Stream pipelines were already sabotaged. This made it clear that the installations on the seabed of the North Sea are more vulnerable than we think. Due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, there has been increased attention in recent years on the vulnerability of the North Sea. If an attack were to be carried out on all the cables and installations on the seabed, it would be a disaster not only for the Netherlands but also for the countries around us. That is why securing the North Sea seabed with smart fiber optics is now more important than ever!