Fiber-optic Majesty

Have you ever wondered how networks in the United States are linked with other continents' networks?  The technology to do this has actually been around since the mid-1800s.  Samuel Morse and some of his contemporaries were convinced it was possible to send telegraph messages through cables laid on the ocean floor.  Some of the earliest success came in connecting England to France across the English channel.  At the time, these wires were used to connect telegraphs.  As better insulating materials were discovered, improved lines were made and laid across the oceans.  When the telephone was invented, these same lines carried voice communication.  Now, with thick fiber-optic cables we transmit terabytes of data a second under the largest and deepest oceans.  Since I already know it works, it is easy to accept.  However, without any prior experience, I think I would seriously doubt the wisdom of laying a wire across 6,200 miles of ocean floor hoping nothing disturbs it.  Too many things could go wrong, right?  Well, it turns out my initial reaction would be wrong.  And it is a good thing; how else could rural Chinese farmers watch The Office on Hulu?