system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How did the underwater internet cables get there?

There are cables underwater that basically send signals throughout the entire world and make up the Internet. How did they get installed? Did someone have to swim to the bottom of the ocean and put them in place?
gpt
These underwater cables are deployed by boat. It essentially involves outfitting a ship with a large cable reel and sailing from one coast to the other while deploying the cable. The cable is dense enough to sink to the bottom.

More interesting is the process to repair such cables. Because defects happen from time to time and they need to be fixed. By measuring reflections in the signal emitted from the shore, it's possible to determine the location of a defect and a ship is sent out to that spot. The ship will use a long grapple to fish up the cable and the repair is done on board the ship. If the cable is relatively heavy, the ship will first deploy an instrument to cut the cable two pieces and then fish up each piece. Repair and reconnection are done on board. Finally, the repaired cable is lowered back into the ocean.