This week is SharkFest on the National Geographic TV channel and appropriately enough Google has entered into their own battle with real, live sharks.
Fiber optic cables, which transmit data across the Pacific Ocean, have been the object of recent shark attacks. One theory is that the sharks are mistaking the electrical impulses from the fibers for fish.
According to The Guardian, “Showing video of a shark biting a cable during an attack, a cloud product manager said that Google is working with partner companies on cables across the pacific to reinforce them with a Kevlar-like matting to prevent damage. Underwater surveillance video shows a confused shark biting down on a cable.”
So, if your Internet speed connecting to Asia has been slow of late, it just may be bites of bytes that are responsible.
Read more at The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/14/google-undersea-fibre-optic-cables-shark-attacks
