Pressure Point: Turbulent Ecologies of the Cable Landing

This chapter analyzes conflicts at the cable landing point, the zone where undersea cables emerge from the deep ocean and extend through coastal waters, beaches, and local communities before connecting with cable stations. The chapter describes how, because these public spaces cannot be walled off, they have often become pressure points in the cable network. It then describes how local actors, including California environmentalists and communities along O‘ahu’s west shore, have induced turbulence for cable system at landing points. It documents a series of the strategies of insulation developed by cable owners, manufacturers, users, and investors that protect the cable network. The chapter ends with a consideration of the limits to cable visibility.