UNDERWATER PERIL

After earthquakes struck on Dec. 26, rock slides took out cables near Taiwan. Like dominoes, telephone and Internet networks toppled in Taiwan, China, South Korea, Japan, and India. Millions of calls couldn't be made, countless Web pages couldn't be opened, and online stock trades couldn't be consummated. Repairs could cost between $500,000 and $2 million per cut line, and it will likely be a month before all of the cables are fixed. For all the excitement about broadband, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks, this latest incident shows how surprisingly dependent the world's data are on submarine cables that snake through canyons on the ocean floor where they're vulnerable to fishermen's nets, ship anchors, and earthquakes. The risk is highest in the Pacific, the most seismically active part of the globe. Relief is on the way, but it will take time to arrive. Three operators have major transpacific systems in the works. Two are to be finished by the end of 2008, while the third is due in 2009. Projects like these each cost anywhere from $500 million to $1.5 billion and are often financed by consortia.