{
  "id": 1825999,
  "title": "The critical tech staying safe by going underground",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/the-critical-tech-staying-safe-by-going-underground-1825999",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-18T23:25:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Business",
    "slug": "bbc-business",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20ydrndr0wo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A team of engineers gathered in a California quarry, surrounded by a wall of white granite. The ancient, ultra-hard rock proved impervious to most threats, but a tunnel-boring machine (TBR) changed the game. This machine, founded by Troy Helming of EarthGrid, utilized plasma torches to melt through the granite. The process, described by Helming as \"igniting a rocket,\" produced super-heated plasma at temperatures surpassing the Sun's surface. As the machine burrowed through three meters of granite, it created a violent vortex to dislodge debris.\n\nThe technology behind EarthGrid's TBR could revolutionize tunnel boring, making it quicker and more efficient. This innovation is particularly valuable in securing critical infrastructure like cables, substation, data centers, and other essential facilities. The demand for such undergrounding has surged, partially due to Russia's war with Ukraine, which highlighted the vulnerability of above-ground facilities to drone attacks. Companies are now exploring the use of tunnel-boring machines for power and fiber optic cables, pipelines for water, natural gas, or ammonia, and even underground freight-distribution systems.\n\nHelming's team plans to adjust the machine to correct slight deviations observed during the January test, aiming for commercial deployment by next year. The concept of going underground for protection is not new, but modern infrastructure makes it more feasible. Data centres, for instance, are increasingly going underground for better protection against physical intrusion, electromagnetic interference, seismic events, and hydrogeological risks. In remote locations like the Dolomite Mountains in Italy, data centres have been installed in caverns 100 meters underground, benefiting from natural cooling and enhanced security.\n\nSimilarly, technology is being deployed beneath the seabed. Subsea internet cables, prone to damage from ship anchors, are sometimes buried up to three meters deep, reducing faults per kilometre of deployed cable. This trend is driven by the increasing rarity of cable faults and the need for enhanced protection in fault-prone areas. The war in Ukraine and other geopolitical events have further fueled the demand for undergrounding in various sectors.\n\nTechnological advancements, such as laser-guidance systems and gyroscopes, have improved tunnel accuracy, but challenges remain, including the release of dangerous gases and occasional flooding. Despite these hurdles, the innovation in tunnel-boring equipment has increased tunnel carving rates significantly. While undergrounding is still not widespread in the UK, there are growing indications of a shift towards this approach for critical infrastructure. The UK's London Power Tunnels project, which involves building 18 miles of tunnels under London to house electricity cables, exemplifies this trend.",
  "summary": "The war in Ukraine has spurred people to consider putting vital infrastructure underground.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Technology",
        "title": "The critical tech staying safe by going underground",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/the-critical-tech-staying-safe-by-going-underground",
        "published": "2026-08-18T23:25:21.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}