---
type: Domain Concept
title: Submarine cable infrastructure
description: Global schematic cable routes and approximate shore landings from TeleGeography.
tags: [catalog, infrastructure, cables]
visibility: public
---

# Meaning

The submarine cable infrastructure [Data Product](data-product.md) exposes
TeleGeography public map geometry through two [Channels](channel.md): cable
routes and landing points. Either channel can be added separately, or both can
be selected when creating a map. Cable parts retain separate feature identities
and share a cable-system ID; this preserves split routes around the date line.

# Interpretation

Lines are schematic, and landing points are approximate. A landing point is
not a verified station-building coordinate. The upstream `is_tbd` flag remains
visible. Cable details provide owners, suppliers, ready-for-service date/year,
planned status and explicit connected landing points. Relationships come from
provider records, never from line proximity. Capacity is not supplied.

`length_km` is the provider-reported length of the **entire cable system**;
each geometry part shares that value. Do not sum it across parts or derive it
from the schematic map line. The original `length` text is retained; unknown
or unparseable values have no numeric length. Source-record links open the
provider's detailed map pages.

# Acquisition and presentation

The shared snapshot pipeline starts from the two fixed geometry endpoints.
Cable geometry expands to one fixed-host detail request per unique cable ID,
with up to 1,000 systems and 12 concurrent requests. A missing, mismatched or
invalid detail response fails the whole cable refresh, preserving its previous
version. No partially enriched snapshot is published.
Empty or invalid responses fail the refresh and preserve the committed version.
Refresh cadence is weekly while the channel is used on a map. Existing Layer
styles remain user-owned. Initial line styles map the provider colors observed
when the connector was introduced; unrecognized new colors use the neutral
fallback and remain available in `source_color` for styling.

# Provenance and reuse

Attribution: [TeleGeography](https://www2.telegeography.com/).

Public endpoint access does not establish a licence to redistribute the
database. TeleGeography's [FAQ](https://www2.telegeography.com/submarine-cable-faqs-frequently-asked-questions)
directs commercial data users to obtain a licence. Its CC BY-SA statement about
maps and screenshots must not be applied to the database automatically. The
Provider therefore records `permission_required`, with inline attribution.