Internet connectivity disrupted due to snapped undersea cables in the Red Sea
The cuts have led to slowed speeds and increased latency for users in countries including India, Pakistan, and the UAE.
Internet services to India and other countries across Asia and the Middle East has been disrupted due to snapped undersea cables in the Red Sea, impacting major systems like SMW4 and IMEWE near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. While the exact cause is unconfirmed, sabotage is a possibility amid regional conflicts, and authorities are investigating. NetBlocks, a global watchdog, confirmed the outages, and Microsoft noted increased latency for its Azure services in the affected regions.
What happened:
- Several undersea cables in the Red Sea have been cut, causing disruptions in internet services.
- India reports the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems, near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were affected.
- The cuts have led to slowed speeds and increased latency for users in countries including India, Pakistan, and the UAE.
- Microsoft confirmed increased latency for Middle East customers via its status page.
Possible causes and investigations:
- Sabotage:A possibility of sabotage is being considered, especially given the context of the ongoing conflict in the region.
- Accidents:Undersea cable breaks are often caused by accidents, such as ship anchors.
- Investigations:Authorities are investigating the incidents, with reports from BBC indicating three arrests were made in March related to attempts to damage cables near Alexandria, Egypt, though the link to the current event is unconfirmed.
Impact:
- Regional Impact:Millions of users across South Asia and West Asia are experiencing slower internet speeds.
- Cloud Services:Microsoft Azure users in the Middle East faced disruptions, though traffic routed outside the region was largely unaffected.
- Repair Time:Repairs on broken undersea cables
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