Fibre-optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) is a 28,000-kilometre-long (17,398 mi; 15,119 nmi) fibre optic mostly- submarine communications cable that connects the United Kingdom, Japan, India, and many places in between. When you invest millions in a fiber optic cable network, you are buying a long-term asset. The cable is operated by Global Cloud Xchange, a former subsidiary of RCOM. This visualization shows the growth of the undersea cable network, global internet peering capacity, and the distribution of IP addresses via BGP announcements over time. Use the controls at the top to play the animation or step through year by year.