Australia in the System of Security of Global Communication (The Beginning of the XXIst Century)

Abstract

The article is dedicated to Australia and its system of security of global underwater communications at the beginning of the 21st century. First of all geographic, strategical, historical, political and economic characteristics of Australia are given. They prove the unique position of the fifth continent and of the state of the Indo-Pacific region. Australia is called today “a digitalized nation”. It is connected to the world by underwater communication cables. They are a matter of the utmost importance to Australia. That is because 99% of international communication is done by the help of the underwater cables. It is understandable that they became the most critical infrastructure. That gives the Australian nation capability to live successfully as a digitalized economy and society as a whole. The protection and security of the Australian underwater cables had been the matter of great attention long before the other countries became aware of the importance of this problem.

The importance of the Telecommunication Act is stressed. It was adopted in Australia in 1997. Due to this Act, a very serious attention was paid to the security system of Australian underwater cables. Since that time Australia has had legislative norms and laws that protect its underwater system of cables. It works well in the 21^stcentury too. This is why it is often called “the gold standard of the cables security”. Nevertheless, the situation concerning security of the underwater cables becomes more and more serious with every passing day in the 21st-century. They are under threat from fishing boats and natural disasters such as tsunamis. Cables are also damaged specially as a subversive activity. Cable damage became number one problem that challenge protecting seabed lines of communication.

Special attention is given to Joint Statement on the Security and Resilience of Undersea Cables in a Globally Digitalized World that was adopted by the USA, Australia, European Union, Federal States of Micronesia, Finland, France, Japan, Marshall Islands, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Tonga, Tuvalu and United Kingdom during the 79th United Nation General Assembly, on the 26 of September 2024 in New York. The main points of this joint statement are observed. It is concluded that all proposed rules are aimed at the global approach to give security, connectedness, stability, resistance, repair of the underwater cable system.