In a move to ensure reliable and secure internet connectivity, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has agreed to fund a project aimed at developing a system that can seamlessly reroute internet traffic from subsea cables to satellites in the event of natural disasters or sabotage.

The project, known as HEIST (Highly Efficient Internet Satellites for Tactical Operations), has been granted €400,000 (approximately $433,600) by NATO’s Science for Peace and Security Programme (SPS). The total project cost is estimated to be around $2.5 million.

According to Eyup Kuntay Turmus, adviser and program manager of the SPS, the initiative is expected to officially launch later this month, as reported by Bloomberg.

HEIST aims to develop tools that can detect disturbances on subsea cables down to the nearest meter. The system will automatically reroute data via satellite if a cable is damaged or cut. The project will focus on testing prototypes and navigating regulations for the first two years, with a partial testing site established near the city of Karlskrona, Sweden’s largest naval base.

The majority of damage to subsea fiber cables is caused by fishing activity, while significant outages can be caused by undersea rockslides, seismic activity, and other natural events. However, amid ongoing tensions between Europe and Russia, as well as the US and China, concerns about potential sabotage of cables are increasing.

NATO has previously warned that Moscow may damage cables as part of its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson last year said damage to a telecommunications cable running under the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Estonia was “purposeful.”

Satellite connectivity, while not currently capable of fully replacing subsea cables, serves as a dependable backup during subsea cable disruptions. This ensures continuous availability of internet services, even in times of crisis.