00:00How would Iranian tariffs on underwater internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz affect Europe?
00:09Iran is floating a new idea that could shake global internet infrastructure,
00:14charging access fees for undersea internet cables crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
00:19At least six cables lie beneath the waters of the Strait of Hormuz,
00:23four of which are owned or part-managed by European firms.
00:26Two major cable systems directly connect Asia to Europe, lending in places like Crete and Sicily.
00:33Some experts argue that the overall impact of the tariffs would be limited,
00:37noting that the bandwidth passing through Hormuz represents less than 1% of global international internet traffic.
00:44Others, however, warned that if Iran enforced such fees, the consequences could extend far beyond telecommunications,
00:50disrupting global trade, maritime law and wider geopolitical tensions.
00:54For Europe, the move could increase connectivity costs and expose new vulnerabilities in the region's digital economy,
01:01particularly at a time when the EU is prioritizing technological resilience and strategic autonomy.
01:07Currently, countries like Egypt already charge for cable access,
01:10earning around 1.5 billion euros for lending rights, maintenance and operational support.
01:16But the Strait of Hormuz presents a different legal challenge.
01:19Most of the cables crossing the Strait do not make landfall in Iran,
01:23meaning Tehran's authority to impose fees under international maritime law
01:27could be difficult to justify or enforce.
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