Cable capacity is measured in Terabits per second (Tbps):

• High Capacity (>150 Tbps):
  • Latest generation cables
  • Can handle 15+ million simultaneous HD video streams
  • Examples: Grace Hopper (250 Tbps), 2Africa (180 Tbps)
• Medium Capacity (50-150 Tbps):
  • Modern backbone cables
  • 5-15 million simultaneous HD streams
  • Most trans-oceanic cables built 2015-2020
• Low Capacity (<50 Tbps):
  • Older or regional cables
  • Under 5 million simultaneous HD streams
  • Still critical for regional connectivity

For reference: 1 Tbps can support approximately 100,000 simultaneous HD video streams or 40 million web page loads per second.

Major cables are defined as:

• Capacity exceeding 100 Tbps
• Key intercontinental routes (Trans-Atlantic, Trans-Pacific)
• Strategic cables like:
  • MAREA (Microsoft-Facebook)
  • Grace Hopper (Google)
  • 2Africa (Meta)
  • Dunant (Google)
  • FASTER (Google consortium)
• Critical regional backbone cables

These cables carry the majority of international internet traffic and are essential for global connectivity.

Data centers are classified by size, connectivity, and importance:

• Tier 1 - Major Hubs:
  • Global internet exchange points
  • 100+ network carriers present
  • Hyperscale facilities (Google, AWS, Microsoft)
  • Locations: Singapore, Frankfurt, Ashburn, London
  • 99.995% uptime guarantee
• Tier 2 - Regional Centers:
  • Regional connectivity hubs
  • 20-100 network carriers
  • Serve multiple cities/countries
  • Examples: Miami, Amsterdam, Mumbai
  • 99.98% uptime guarantee
• Tier 3 - Local Facilities:
  • City-level data centers
  • 5-20 network carriers
  • Edge computing locations
  • Content delivery networks (CDN)
  • 99.95% uptime guarantee

Note: This visualization uses a simplified tier system based on connectivity and traffic volume, not the official Uptime Institute certification.