Red Sea cables have been damaged, disrupting internet traffic
Damage to submarine cables in the Red Sea is causing disruptions to telecommunications networks, resulting in the need to reroute up to a quarter of traffic between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, including internet traffic.
Cables owned by four major telecoms networks have been severed, leading to significant disruptions in communications networks across the Middle East, as reported by Hong Kong-based telecoms company HGC Global Communications.
HGC estimates that approximately 25% of the traffic between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East has been affected. In response, the company is redirecting traffic to minimize disruption for its customers and providing assistance to affected businesses.
The cause of the cable damage and responsible parties have not been disclosed by HGC.
Repair efforts for the affected cables, including those owned by South Africa-based Seacom, are not expected to commence for at least a month due in part to the time required to obtain permits for operations in the area.
Submarine cables play a crucial role in internet connectivity, with significant investments made in recent years by tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta. Damage to these undersea networks can lead to widespread internet outages, as seen after the Taiwan earthquake in 2006.
The damage to cables in the Red Sea follows warnings from the official Yemeni government about the potential targeting of cables by Houthi rebels. These Iranian-backed militants have previously disrupted global supply chains by targeting commercial vessels in the region.
While reports have suggested the involvement of Houthi rebels in the cable damage, Yemeni rebel leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi has denied these allegations, stating they have no intention of targeting the internet cables in the region.
The Houthis have instead accused British and US military units operating in the area of causing the damage. Repair efforts for the damaged cables could be delayed by the lengthy process of obtaining permits from the Yemeni maritime authority, according to Seacom's chief digital officer Prenesh Padayachee.
The Asia-Africa-Europe 1 cable system, spanning 25,000 kilometers and connecting South East Asia to Europe via Egypt, is among those affected. Additionally, damage has been reported to the Europe India Gateway (EIG) cable system.
EIG, which connects Europe, the Middle East, and India and includes Vodafone as a major investor, has declined to comment on the situation. The company boasts the capability to route internet traffic across approximately 80 submarine cable systems reaching 100 countries.
Despite the disruptions, most major telecoms companies have redundant undersea cable systems in place, allowing them to reroute traffic and maintain uninterrupted service during outages.