DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Multiple undersea cable outages in the Red Sea have slowed internet access across parts of Asia and the Middle East, raising fresh concerns over the vulnerability of global communications infrastructure in a region already rattled by conflict.
Widespread Connectivity Issues
NetBlocks, a watchdog that tracks internet performance worldwide, confirmed degraded connectivity in countries including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, and the United Arab Emirates. Users reported slower speeds and intermittent access, with failures traced to the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Microsoft acknowledged the disruptions in a status update on Sunday, warning that its Azure cloud services were experiencing latency for traffic routed through the Middle East. However, it stressed that global traffic outside the region remained unaffected. The outages began around 05:45 GMT on September 6.
Confusion Over the Cause
The cause of the outages remains unclear. While some reports linked the cuts to the ongoing Red Sea campaign by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the group has denied targeting the cables in the past. Still, the Houthis’ media arm, Al Masirah TV, cited NetBlocks in confirming that the cuts had occurred.
Undersea cables form the backbone of the internet, carrying vast amounts of global data traffic. They are vulnerable to damage from anchors, natural disasters, or deliberate attacks, and repairing them is complex and costly.
Impact Across the Region
In Pakistan, the state-run telecom giant PTCL warned of possible service degradation during peak hours but said international partners were working to restore connectivity. In the UAE, customers on Du and Etisalat reported slower internet speeds, though the government has not formally commented.
Indian telecom operators downplayed the impact, saying their networks have redundancy measures in place. Tata Communications, which operates part of the South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 (SMW4) system, has not yet responded publicly.
Geopolitical Context
The Red Sea has become a flashpoint in the Israel-Hamas war, with Houthi rebels targeting commercial shipping in what they describe as an effort to pressure Israel. Since late 2023, they have struck more than 100 vessels, sinking four and killing at least eight mariners.
In early 2024, Yemen’s internationally recognized government-in-exile accused the Houthis of plotting attacks on subsea cables, though the group denied responsibility. The new disruptions, coinciding with ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Gaza, have reignited fears that internet infrastructure could become a strategic target.
