Submarine Cable Damage Disrupts Global Networks

Damage to submarine cables in the Red Sea is causing significant disruptions to telecommunications networks, impacting as much as a quarter of traffic between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, including internet traffic.

According to Hong Kong-based telecoms company HGC Global Communications, cables belonging to four major telecoms networks have been severed, leading to significant disruption in the Middle East’s communications networks.

HGC estimates that approximately 25% of traffic between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East has been affected by the damage. The company is actively rerouting traffic to minimize disruption for customers and extending assistance to affected businesses.

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The cause of the damage to the cables remains unclear, and responsible parties have not been identified. South Africa-based Seacom, which owns one of the affected cable systems, stated that repairs will not commence for at least another month, partly due to the time required to secure permits for operations in the area.

Among the affected networks is the Asia-Africa-Europe 1 cable system, which spans 25,000 kilometers and connects Southeast Asia to Europe via Egypt. The Europe India Gateway (EIG) has also suffered damage. EIG, linking Europe, the Middle East, and India, counts Vodafone as a major investor.

Vodafone, a significant mobile network operator in the UK, declined to comment on the situation. Most major telecoms companies rely on multiple undersea cable systems, enabling them to reroute traffic in the event of an outage to ensure uninterrupted service.

Submarine cables are vital components of the internet infrastructure, funded in recent years by internet giants like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta (formerly Facebook). Damage to these subsea networks can lead to widespread internet outages, as observed following the Taiwan earthquake in 2006.