Undersea cables cut in the Red Sea, disrupting internet access in Asia and the Mideast
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Undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea disrupted internet access in parts of Asia and the Middle East. Undersea cables are one of the backbones of the internet, along with satellite connections and land-based cables. There has been concern about the cables being targeted in a Red Sea campaign by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Microsoft announced via a status website that the Mideast “may experience increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts’ The lines’ cut comes as Yemen”s Houthis remain locked in a series of attacks targeting Israel over the Israel- Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. The United Arab Emirates, home to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, complained of slower internet speeds.
Undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea disrupted internet access in parts of Asia and the Middle East, experts said Sunday, though it wasn’t immediately clear what caused the incident. There has been concern about the cables being targeted in a Red Sea campaign by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which the rebels describe as an effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. But the Houthis have denied attacking the lines in the past. Undersea cables are one of the backbones of the internet, along with satellite connections and land-based cables.
Typically, internet service providers have multiple access points and reroute traffic if one fails, though it can slow down access for users. Microsoft announced via a status website that the Mideast “may experience increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea.” The Redmond, Washington-based firm did not immediately elaborate, though it said that 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 blamed “failures affecting the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.” The South East Asia-Middle East- Western Europe 4 cable is run by Tata Communications, part of the Indian conglomerate.
The India-Middle East-Western Europe cable is run by another consortium overseen by Alcatel Submarine Networks. Neither firm responded to requests for comment. Pakistan Telecommunications Co. Ltd., a telecommunication giant in that country, noted that the cuts had taken place in a statement on Saturday. Saudi Arabia did not acknowledge the disruption and authorities there did not respond to a request for comment. In the United Arab Emirates, 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 acknowledge the disruption. Subsea cables can be cut by anchors dropped from ships, but can also be targeted in attacks. It can take weeks for repairs to be made as a ship and crew must locate themselves over the damaged cable.
The lines’ 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. Several were cut, but the Houthis denied being responsible. On Sunday morning, the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel acknowledged that the cuts had taken place, citing Net- Blocks.
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
Internet disruption in Middle East, Asia after ‘undersea fibre cuts’ in Red Sea
Microsoft says network traffic for its Azure cloud computing platform is experiencing increased delays in parts of the Middle East. The tech giant did not provide an explanation for what caused the cuts to the submarine lines. There has been growing anxiety about the state of the lines after Yemen’s Huthi rebels began attacking passing merchant vessels in late 2023. There are an average of 150 to 200 outages per year worldwide, or around three incidents a week.
Microsoft did not provide an explanation for what caused the cuts to the submarine lines but noted its network had been affected since Saturday.
“Network traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted,” the company said in a statement.
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The internet access monitoring organisation NetBlocks noted that a series of submarine cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in several countries, including in India and Pakistan.
Global internet and telecom cables have followed shipping routes through the Red Sea, but there has been growing anxiety about the state of the lines after Yemen’s Huthi rebels began attacking passing merchant vessels in late 2023, in actions the group said was in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the Gaza war.
The laying and operation of underwater cables have long been the preserve of a consortium of large telecoms operators, but internet giants have largely taken over in recent years as they strive to keep up with ballooning flows of data.
About 1.4 million kilometres (nearly 900,000 miles) of fiber optic cables are laid on the ocean floor, enabling the provision of essential services such as trade, financial transactions, public services, digital health and education around the world.
Damage to submarine cables is not uncommon.
According to the International Cable Protection Committee, there are an average of 150 to 200 outages per year worldwide, or around three incidents a week.
Fishing and anchoring is believed to be responsible for a vast majority recorded damage to the lines.
Natural hazards to the cables also include ageing, abrasions and equipment failure.
Internet access in Middle East and Asia disrupted after ‘undersea cables cut’
Middle East may experience increased latency due to undersea fibre cuts in the Red Sea. Microsoft gave no other details, but said internet traffic not moving through the region “is not impacted” Pakistan Telecommunications, a major telecommunication firm, said cuts had taken place in a statement issued on Saturday. In the United Arab Emirates, internet users on the country’s state-owned Du and Etisalat networks complained of slower internet speeds. While the cause of the disruption has not been confirmed, there has been concern about Houthi rebels, based in neighbouring Yemen, targeting Red Sea cables. Undersea cables, as well as satellite connections and land-based cables, are one of the backbones of the internet. Service providers usually have multiple access points and reroute traffic if one fails.
The Middle East “may experience increased latency due to undersea fibre cuts in the Red Sea,” Microsoft said on its Azure status website.
The tech giant gave no other details, but said internet traffic not moving through the region “is not impacted”.
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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.
The firm blamed “failures affecting the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia”.
Posts on X included graphics showing a sharp drop in connectivity on Saturday.
SMW4, the South East Asia/Middle East/Western Europe 4 cable is run by Tata Communications, part of the Indian conglomerate.
IMEWE, or the India/Middle East/Western Europe cable, is run by another consortium overseen by Alcatel Submarine Networks.
Neither firm has commented.
Pakistan Telecommunications, a major telecommunication firm, said cuts had taken place in a statement issued on Saturday.
Image: Protesters, mostly Houthi supporters, demonstrate in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, in Sanaa, Yemen in August. File pic: Reuters
Saudi Arabia did not acknowledge the disruption and authorities did not respond to a request for comment.
In the United Arab Emirates, internet users on the country’s state-owned Du and Etisalat networks complained of slower internet speeds but the government did not acknowledge the disruption.
NetBlocks confirmed in a second post that the UAE had suffered “slow speeds and intermittent access as engineers work to resolve the issue impacting multiple countries”.
While the cause of the disruption has not been confirmed, there has been concern about Houthi rebels, based in neighbouring Yemen, targeting Red Sea cables.
The insurgent group is engaged in a campaign against Israel to pressure it to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In early 2024, Yemen’s government-in-exile alleged that the Houthis planned to attack undersea cables in the Red Sea.
Several were cut, but the Houthis denied being responsible.
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Undersea cables, as well as satellite connections and land-based cables, are one of the backbones of the internet.
Service providers usually have multiple access points and reroute traffic if one fails, although it can slow access for users.
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Anchors dropped from ships and dragged along the sea floor can cut cables, which can also be targeted in attacks and repairs can take weeks.
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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Tags Red Sea Cables
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