ANACOM calls for international cooperation to strengthen the resilience of submarine cables

On 18 June 2026, Sandra Maximiano, Chairwoman of ANACOM's Board of Directors, participated in the side event "Advancing Submarine Cable Resilience: Perspectives from the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience (IAB)", which was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the sidelines of the 36th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The initiative was organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and co-sponsored by Portugal and Nigeria. It was primarily aimed at diplomats who were part of the delegations attending the meeting of the States Parties to the UNCLOS.

Acting in her dual capacity as Co-Chair of the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience (IAB) and Chairwoman of ANACOM, Sandra Maximiano emphasised the strategic importance of submarine cables to the global digital economy. She emphasised that the growing dependence of societies on digital connectivity makes the resilience of this infrastructure an international priority.

In her speech, the Chair of ANACOM stressed that the resilience of submarine cables encompasses not only the prevention of incidents, but also the ability to adapt, carry out maintenance and recover quickly in the event of faults. She also emphasised the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as the fundamental legal framework for the laying, protection and repair of submarine cables.

Sandra Maximiano also presented the work carried out by the IAB - an initiative established by the ITU and the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) - highlighting the progress made by its working groups in areas such as resilience by design and the streamlining of processes for the installation, maintenance and repair of submarine cables, as well as the identification and mitigation of risks.

The outcomes of the Porto Summit on Submarine Cable Resilience, which took place in February 2026, were also highlighted. This event brought together over 350 participants from more than 70 countries, culminating in the adoption of the Porto Declaration.

The Chairwoman of ANACOM emphasised that the key message of this work is clear: ensuring the resilience of submarine cables is a shared responsibility that requires close cooperation between states, regulators, the industry, and international organisations, in order to guarantee the security, continuity, and sustainability of the global digital infrastructure.

The event also featured Kelly Donohue, Global Head of Network Infrastructure Policy at Meta, who presented the perspective of operators and investors in submarine infrastructure; Justin Fair, Director for Bilateral and Multilateral Digital Policy Affairs at the US Department of State, who discussed US policies on the resilience of submarine cables; and Mick McGovern, General Manager of Marine Operations at ASN - Submarine Networks, who shared the industry's operational perspective on the challenges associated with the maintenance and repair of this infrastructure.

The session was moderated by Sadhvi Saran, Strategy and Policy Advisor at the International Telecommunication Union.