Microsoft cloud platform hit by cable cuts in Red Sea

Global tech giant Microsoft on Sunday said network traffic for its Azure cloud computing platform was experiencing increased delays in parts of the Middle East due to “undersea fiber cuts” in the Red Sea.

Microsoft did not provide an explanation for what caused the cuts to the submarine lines but noted its network had been affected since Saturday.

“Network traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted,” the company said in a statement.

The internet access monitoring organisation NetBlocks noted that a series of submarine cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in several countries, including in India and Pakistan.

Global internet and telecom cables have followed shipping routes through the Red Sea, but there has been growing anxiety about the state of the lines after Yemen’s Huthi rebels began attacking passing merchant vessels in late 2023, in actions the group said was in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the Gaza war.

The laying and operation of underwater cables have long been the preserve of a consortium of large telecoms operators, but internet giants have largely taken over in recent years as they strive to keep up with ballooning flows of data.

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About 1.4 million kilometres (nearly 900,000 miles) of fiber optic cables are laid on the ocean floor, enabling the provision of essential services such as trade, financial transactions, public services, digital health and education around the world.

Damage to submarine cables is not uncommon.

According to the International Cable Protection Committee, there are an average of 150 to 200 outages per year worldwide, or around three incidents a week.

Fishing and anchoring is believed to be responsible for a vast majority recorded damage to the lines.

Natural hazards to the cables also include ageing, abrasions and equipment failure.