Red Sea cable cuts disrupt internet across Asia and the Middle East
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Red Sea cable cuts disrupt internet across Asia and the Middle East
Internet connectivity in multiple countries including India and Pakistan affected. Subsea cable outages in the Red Sea, internet monitoring group Netblocks said. Similar internet disruptions were also observed on Etilasat and Du networks in the United Arab Emirates.
LONDON – Internet connectivity in multiple countries including India and Pakistan has been affected due to subsea cable outages in the Red Sea, internet monitoring group Netblocks said.
Similar internet disruptions were also observed on Etilasat and Du networks in the United Arab Emirates, Netblocks said.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the damage, but Netblocks identified failures affecting cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Microsoft on Sept 6 said that its Microsoft Azure users may experience increased latency due to multiple undersea fibre cuts in the Red Sea.
The company said its users may experience service disruptions on traffic routes through the Middle East.
Azure, the world’s second largest cloud provider after Amazon’s AWS, has rerouted traffic through alternative network paths and network traffic is not interrupted.
“We do expect higher latency on some traffic that previously traversed through the Middle East. Network traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted,” Microsoft said. REUTERS
Red Sea Cable Cuts Disrupt Microsoft Azure Services Worldwide
Two major cable systems, SMW4 and IMEWE, suffered cuts near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The impacted cables transfer internet traffic between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, handling about 17% of all global internet traffic passing through this area. Microsoft moved internet traffic to other routes to minimize the impact on users.
The company informed users they might face slower connections and longer wait times when using Azure services.
According to converging reports, the problems started at 5:45 UTC, when two major cable systems, SMW4 and IMEWE, suffered cuts near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The impacted cables transfer internet traffic between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, handling about 17% of all global internet traffic passing through this area.
In a swift response, Microsoft moved internet traffic to other routes to minimize the impact on users.
The company said services that don’t go through the Middle East worked normally, reporting that it fixed most problems by Saturday evening, though some users still experienced slower speeds.
Read also: Historic Submarine Cable to Connect Morocco and Canary Islands by 2028
The cable damage affected more than just Microsoft.
NetBlocks, which monitors global internet health, found slower internet speeds in Pakistan, India, and the United Arab Emirates.
Millions of users in these countries had connection problems as internet providers redirected traffic through backup routes.
Microsoft has not commented on the cause of cable cuts, with reports predicting the damage could come from ship anchors dragging on the ocean floor or deliberate actions in the Red Sea area.
Generally, fixing underwater cables takes weeks or months because repair teams need special ships and security permits.
The Red Sea route connects three continents and serves as a critical pathway for global internet traffic, pushing companies like Microsoft to invest heavily in backup routes to maintain services during such outages.
Microsoft Azure services disrupted by Red Sea cable cuts
Microsoft cloud services disrupted by Red Sea cable cuts. Company did not explain what might have caused the damage to the undersea cables. Reports suggest that undersea cable cuts had affected the United Arab Emirates and some countries in Asia. Undersea cables can be damaged by anchors dropped by ships, but have also, in the past, been deliberately targeted. In February 2024, several communications cables in the Red Sea were cut, affecting internet traffic between Asia and Europe.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Microsoft says the delays could affect traffic moving through the Middle East
Author, Seher Asaf Role, BBC News
3 hours ago
Microsoft’s Azure cloud services have been disrupted by undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea, the US tech giant says.
Users of Azure – one of the world’s leading cloud computing platforms – would experience delays because of problems with internet traffic moving through the Middle East, the company said.
Microsoft did not explain what might have caused the damage to the undersea cables, but added that it had been able to rerouted traffic through other paths.
Over the weekend, there were reports suggesting that undersea cable cuts had affected the United Arab Emirates and some countries in Asia.
Cables laid on the ocean floor transmit data between continents and are often described as the backbone of the internet.
An update posted on the Microsoft website on Saturday said that Azure traffic going through the Middle East “may experience increased latency due to undersea fibre cuts in the Red Sea”.
It stressed that traffic “that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted”.
On Saturday, NetBlocks, an organisation that monitors internet access, said a series of undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea had affected internet services in several countries, including India and Pakistan.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Company said in a post on X that the cuts occurred in waters near the Saudi city of Jeddah and warned that internet services could be affected during peak hours.
Undersea cables can be damaged by anchors dropped by ships, but have also, in the past, been deliberately targeted.
In February 2024, several communications cables in the Red Sea were cut, affecting internet traffic between Asia and Europe.
The incident happened about a month after Yemen’s internationally recognised government warned that the Iran-backed Houthi movement might sabotage the cables and attack ships on the Red Sea. The Houthis denied that they had targeted cables.
In the Baltic Sea, a series of undersea cables and gas pipelines have been damaged in suspected attacks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Red Sea undersea cable cuts disrupt global internet
Multiple undersea internet cables in the Red Sea have been damaged raising concerns over disruptions and slowdowns in internet services across several countries. Microsoft and other global technology companies have confirmed that investigations into the incident are underway. Experts warn that the cable cuts could significantly affect the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa. The incident may not only slow down internet speeds but also impact international calls, financial transactions and global digital communications.
Global impact
Experts warn that the cable cuts could significantly affect the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa as these regions are directly dependent on the disrupted data routes. The incident may not only slow down internet speeds but also impact international calls, financial transactions and global digital communications.
Situation in Pakistan
In Pakistan, users reported widespread internet slowdowns across the country on Saturday. A PTCL spokesperson confirmed that a submarine cable near Jeddah had been affected forcing data traffic to be rerouted through alternate channels. Although connectivity has been restored via backup routes, users continue to face minor delays and reduced browsing speeds.
Companies respond
Microsoft stated that preliminary findings suggest the incident could have resulted from a natural or technical fault but other possibilities cannot be ruled out at this stage. The company added that it is actively working to deploy alternate connections to ensure minimal disruption for users in the affected regions.
Background
This is not the first time that submarine cables have been damaged. Similar incidents in past years have caused significant internet disruptions across the region. According to experts, nearly 95% of the world’s international data traffic relies on submarine cables meaning even minor faults can trigger large-scale communication issues.
Future concerns and precautionary measures
Technology analysts caution that if additional cables are affected, the consequences could be far-reaching, impacting cloud services, online education, e-commerce and international trade. Several countries including Pakistan have already taken emergency measures to activate backup internet routes and maintain connectivity.
Red Sea Internet Cables Cut: What Really Happened?
Internet access was disrupted in parts of Asia and the Middle East, after the undersea cables in Red Sea, got cut. The reason behind the incident is not clear yet. It is being suspected that the cables were targeted in a Red Sea campaign by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which the rebels said was an effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, the Houthis have denied attacking the lines in the past. Repair of the cut lines typically takes weeks as specialized vessels need to locate and fix the damage. In the UAE, home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, internet users on the country’s state-owned Du and Etisalat networks complained of slower internet speeds.
It is being suspected that the cables were targeted in a Red Sea campaign by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which the rebels said was an effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, the Houthis have denied attacking the lines in the past.
On its status page, Microsoft said the Mideast “may experience increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea.” The Redmond, Washington-based firm did not elaborate but said that the internet traffic not moving through the Middle East is not impacted.
NetBlocks, which monitors internet access, said “a series of subsea cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in multiple countries,” which it said included India and Pakistan. It identified failures affecting the South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe (SMW4) and the India-Middle East Western Europe (IMEWE) cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 cable is run by Tata Communications. The India-Middle East-Western Europe cable is run by another consortium overseen by Alcatel-Lucent. Both firms did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In the UAE, home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, internet users on the country’s state-owned Du and Etisalat networks complained of slower internet speeds. The government did not immediately acknowledge the disruption.
Meanwhile, it is being said that subsea cables can be cut by anchors dropped from ships and also by attacks. Repair of the cut lines typically takes weeks as specialized vessels need to locate and fix the damage.
The lines being cut comes as Yemen’s Houthi rebels remain locked in a series of attacks targeting Israel over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Israel has responded with airstrikes, including one that killed top leaders within the rebel movement.
In early 2024, Yemen’s internationally recognized government in exile alleged that the Houthis planned to attack undersea cables in the Red Sea. However, Houthis denied being responsible.
On Sunday morning, the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel acknowledged that the cuts had taken place, citing NetBlocks. From November 2023 to December 2024, the Houthis targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. So far, the Houthis have sunk four vessels and killed at least eight mariners.
The Iranian-backed Houthis stopped their attacks during a brief ceasefire in the war. Later, they became target of airstrikes ordered by US President Donald Trump. In July, the Houthis sank two vessels, killing at least four on board with others believed to be held by the rebels.
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