RIP to the first transatlantic internet cable 🌐👀 #trendingshorts #tech #internet

The first transatlantic fiber-optic cable is being recovered from the ocean floor. TAT-8, which went live in 1988, was revolutionary for its time. It was the first to carry data between Europe and the United States using light instead of electrical signals. Engineers believed it might be the last cable the world would ever need. It filled to capacity within 18 months. Retired in 2002 after developing an unrepairable fault, it has sat on the seabed for over two decades. A small crew is now hauling it up for recycling. The operation coincides with Meta's announcement of Project Waterworth, a 50,000 kilometer cable built partly to support AI infrastructure. To read more about it, check out the recent Wired article titled “Say Goodbye to the Undersea Cable That Made the Global Internet Possible”