Rising seas could significantly affect the global internet infra: Study

Rising seas could significantly affect the global internet infrastructure, say scientist who found that thousands of miles of buried fibre optic cables in densely populated coastal regions of the US may soon be flooded.

The study portrays critical communications infrastructure that could be submerged by rising seas in as soon as 15 years, said Paul Barford, a professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US.

"Most of the damage that's going to be done in the next 100 years will be done sooner than later. The expectation was that we'd have 50 years to plan for it. We don't have 50 years," said Barford.

The study is the first assessment of risk of climate change to the internet. It suggests that by the year 2033 more than 4,000 miles of buried fibre optic conduit will be underwater and more than 1,100 traffic hubs will be surrounded by water.