On Wed, 17 Jan 2007, Frank Bulk wrote:
This article paints a rather dismal picture:
Despite optimistic estimates that it would take only three weeks to repair the massive damage done to what are now said to be eight submarine cables by the Dec. 26, 2006, magnitude-6.7 earthquake near Taiwan, reports today indicate that not one of the cables is back in service. http://www.telecomweb.com/tnd/21168.html
Earth is a single point of failure. Telegeography has created a nice map showing the affected cables. http://www.telegeography.com/wordpress/?p=45 NTT reports it has fully restored all its circuits through other routes. Other carriers in the region are reporting 80% to 95% of normal service has been restored through other routes. IP does not provide survivability UNLESS you have alternate, diverse connectivity. But alternate routes are often more expensive, higher latency, i.e. less competitive.