The Secrets Of Cornwall - Part 1 - Communications
Why Hacker News recommends it
Recommended as a rare look at the unmarked buildings and infrastructure where undersea cables come ashore.
What it is
A documentary on how Cornwall became a hub for the world's communications, from the first transatlantic radio signal to modern undersea fibre cables. It describes how cable landing stations and the systems are put together.
Recommended by 3 HN commenters across 3 different months, 2020 to 2022.
What Hacker News said
Recommends the-dude · 2020-08 · on “Secret Landscape: America's cold war infrastructure”
Reminds me of 'The Secrets Of Cornwall - Part 1 - Communications' : [this video] All kinds of bland looking, unmarked buildings housing telecom equipment for the onshoring fibres.
Recommends b0tzzzzzzman · 2021-10 · on “Incenser, or how NSA and GCHQ are tapping internet cables (2014)”
Great write up. I would recommend the checking out: Documentary about the cable landing stations: The Secrets of Cornwall [this video]
Recommends 132RRN96 · 2022-10 · on “Interactive Submarine Cable Map”
A lot of the time these landing sites / buildings are a bit further inland. At the beach there is usually only a buried armoured cable leading to a concrete slab or something where it connects to underground ductwork. If you're interested in that and have an hour of time there is a youtube video[1] of a local tracking these down around the Cornwall area. [1] [this video]