The World Technology giant Microsoft said on Sunday that network traffic for its Azure cloud computing platform was experiencing greater delays in the Middle East due to the “Submarine fiber cuts” in the Red Sea.
Microsoft did not provide an explanation of what caused the cuts to the underwater lines, but noted that its network had been affected since Saturday.
“The network traffic that does not go through the Middle East is not affected,” the company said in a statement.
The Netblocks Internet access monitoring organization pointed out that a series of underwater cable interruptions in the Red Sea have degraded Internet connectivity in several countries, even in India and Pakistan.
The global Internet cables and telecommunications have followed the shipping routes through the Red Sea, but there has been a growing anxiety for the status of the lines after Yemen’s rebels began to attack the merchant ships that passed at the end of 2023, in actions that the group said they were in solidarity with the Palestinians amidia of the Israelia war in Gaza.
The placement and operation of submarine cables have long been the reservation of a consortium of large telecommunications operators, but Internet giants have been largely assumed in recent years as they strive to keep up with balloon data flows.
Approximately 1.4 million kilometers (almost 900,000 miles) of fiber optic cables are placed at the bottom of the ocean, which allows the provision of essential services such as trade, financial transactions, public services, digital health and education worldwide.
Damage to submarine cables is not uncommon.
According to the International Cable Protection Committee, there is an average of 150 to 200 interruptions per year worldwide, or around three incidents per week.
It is believed that fishing and anchor are responsible for the vast majority of damages registered to the lines.
Natural dangers for cables also include aging, abrasions and equipment failure.
