Submarine Cables

All states enjoy the freedom to lay submarine cables and pipelines on the bed of the high seas under UNCLOS Article 87, and Article 112 affirms the right to lay them on the seabed beyond the continental shelf. On the continental shelf, the coastal state may not impede cable laying but may impose conditions for cables entering its territory and for those serving its shelf exploration (Article 79). Articles 113 to 115 require states to make the breaking or injury of a submarine cable by a flagged ship a punishable offense and to provide indemnity for cables sacrificed to save another. The 1884 Convention for the Protection of Submarine Telegraph Cables remains relevant background law.