(UPDATE) DUBAI — Undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea disrupted internet access Sunday in parts of Asia and the Middle East, experts said, though it wasn’t immediately clear what caused the incident.
Undersea cables cut in the Red Sea, disrupting internet access in Asia and the Mideast
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.
The Houthis have denied attacking the lines in the past.
Microsoft announced via a status website that the Mideast “may experience increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea.”
Undersea cables cut in the Red Sea, disrupting internet access in Asia and the Mideast
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 Southeast 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-Lucent.
Both firms did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Saudi Arabia did not immediately 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 immediately acknowledge the disruption., This news data comes from:http://mdnclv.705-888.com
The lines being cut came 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.
- SpaceX cancels Starship megarocket launch
- DPWH Secretary Dizon vows to slash 'staggering' P268B flood control budget
- Israel military says controls 40 percent of Gaza City
- NBI slaps Alice Guo, 35 Others with new graft, misconduct cases
- Some areas in Metro Manila, 5 provinces to have power interruptions due to maintenance works
- Trump withdraws Kamala Harris's Secret Service protection
- Ever dream of having an entry in the Guinness World Records? Here's how to do it
- Manila mayor warns against mobs, orders police to maintain peace and order
- UN watchdog finds uranium traces at suspected Syrian former nuclear site
- House starts flood control probe
