Iran likely to impose charges, regulations on undersea internet cables

Amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is reportedly considering imposing new charges and regulations on the undersea internet cables that power global digital services — from Instagram and WhatsApp to Google, Amazon deliveries, and Netflix streaming.

Recently, Iran's military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari reportedly said that now they are considering tighter control over overseas cable running through the Strait of Hormuz. He further said that they are likely to impose charges and regulations on the cables.

It means that companies around the world may have to pay Iran for using the internet cables laid under the sea which is a matter of concern for the countries as most of the world's internet runs on this same cable. The internet connects one country to another through fiber cables laid under the sea. 

Based on the data of the international organisation, it was found that many large internet cables like FALCON, GBICS, 2Africa, SeaMeWe 6 and AAE 1 pass through this area, which handles internet traffic between Asia, Africa and Europe. If any problem arises in this area, then it can directly affect several countries at once.

This dispute is also very worrying for India, because many of these real cables come directly to India and connect to Mumbai and Chennai. These same cables connect India with the Gulf countries, Europe and Africa. India’s big telecom companies like Airtel and Jio are also connected to this same network.