The UK Government published a White Paper on October 22, 2026, proposing new offenses, security duties and national-security powers for critical undersea infrastructure. The proposals are under consultation, not enacted law. Separately, an investigation published the day before reported Russian fishing vessels moving slowly near charted cable routes.
The proposed rules would set out new offenses for conduct affecting undersea infrastructure and require telecommunications providers to meet security and resilience duties. The UK Government also proposed a national-security direction power and regulation of fiber-optic sensing deployments. The consultation is scheduled to close on January 14, 2027; the government said legislation would follow the consultation when parliamentary time allows. The UK Government’s White Paper and consultation page sets out the proposals.
The proposed penalties depend on the conduct
The UK Government proposed different maximum prison terms for intentional, reckless and grossly negligent conduct, alongside unlimited fines. These are proposed penalties, not current law.
| Proposed conduct | Maximum prison term | Fine |
| Intentional conduct | 14 years | Unlimited |
| Reckless conduct | 10 years | Unlimited |
| Gross negligence | 2 years | Unlimited |
The categories distinguish deliberate conduct from reckless behavior and gross negligence. The White Paper also proposes duties for undersea telecommunications providers, a power to issue national-security directions and rules for fiber-optic sensing deployments.
What the reported vessel tracks describe
On October 21, 2026, The Telegraph reported that its analysis of four and a half years of Global Fishing Watch vessel-tracking data identified 17 Russian fishing vessels and more than 500 incidents of loitering near or following charted cable routes. The analysis cross-referenced satellite-based vessel tracks with nautical charts. Its reported observations concern vessel locations, speeds and time spent near cable routes.
The Telegraph described 337 hours of collective vessel activity near Atlantic Crossing 1, north of Scotland, including 322 hours in April 2023. One vessel was reported near nine cables over four years. In February 2025, a vessel identified as Ship B was reported near Hibernia Express for 42 minutes while traveling at less than two knots. Another described passage involved repeated turns along a 25-kilometer stretch of Atlantic Crossing 1.
Other named routes in the account include Shefa-2, Amitié, Grace Hopper and decommissioned TAT-14. The investigation’s observations are about movements near charted routes; the vessels’ intent is a separate question.
Why the UK cable figures matter
The UK Government says 64 active subsea telecommunications cable systems land in the UK: 45 international systems and 19 domestic ones. It says subsea cables carry 99% of the UK’s international data traffic. Those figures describe the UK’s network as a whole, not the share carried by any one cable.
Undersea cable ownership varies. The Congressional Research Service describes systems owned by private telecommunications or technology companies, state-owned firms and consortia. A cable may have one owner or several, and ownership is distinct from the companies that manufacture or lay it.
