Internet Disruptions Spread Across Asia After Red Sea Cable Cuts

Internet speeds across parts of Asia and the Middle East took a hit over the weekend after multiple undersea cables in the Red Sea were severed, according to the Associated Press.

The cause of the damage remains unclear, but the disruption has impacted connectivity in several countries, including Pakistan, India, and the United Arab Emirates.

Microsoft acknowledged the issue, warning that users in the Middle East “may experience increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea.” The company added that traffic outside the region remains unaffected. NetBlocks, an internet observatory, also confirmed widespread outages tied to “a series of subsea cable outages” near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Two major systems were affected: the South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 (SMW4) cable, operated by Tata Communications, and the IMEWE system, run by a consortium led by Alcatel-Lucent.

PTA Action

Pakistan Telecommunications Co. Ltd. confirmed the cuts, while telecom operators Du and Etisalat in the UAE reported slower speeds, though local regulators have yet to issue statements.

Some resiliency came from the India-Europe-Xpress cable, a 10,000-kilometer link built by an Indian firm, which has helped reroute traffic and limit the scope of the outages.

Subsea cables are notoriously vulnerable to damage, whether from ship anchors or intentional attacks. This incident comes amid heightened instability in the Red Sea, where Houthi rebels have targeted shipping in a campaign linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Houthis, who have launched more than 100 drone and missile strikes on vessels since late 2023, denied responsibility for the cable damage. Still, the group acknowledged the outage through its al-Masirah channel, citing monitoring reports.

The conflict has already seen the sinking of multiple ships, the deaths of at least a dozen crew members, and ongoing airstrikes from Israel and the United States.

With tensions in the region showing no signs of easing, the latest disruption underscores just how fragile global internet infrastructure remains when routed through conflict zones like the Red Sea.