Internet users in the UAE experience slow connections following cuts to the Red Sea undersea cable network
In recent days, users across the Middle East, parts of Asia, India, and Pakistan have experienced slower internet connections due to undersea fiber optic cable cuts in the Red Sea. The disruption, which has not been resolved as of Sunday, has affected internet providers such as Du and Etisalat in the United Arab Emirates.
The South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 4 (SMW4) and the India-Middle East-Western Europe (IMEWE) cables, critical for internet traffic connecting Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, have been affected by the cable cuts. According to internet monitoring group NetBlocks, failures affecting these cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, are the source of the internet disruption.
Undersea fiber optic cables serve as the primary backbone of the global internet, carrying a significant portion of the world's data traffic. While internet service providers typically have multiple connections to reroute traffic in case of an outage, a significant cut can still cause widespread slowdowns.
Reports suggest that a cargo ship with its anchor lowered is presumably responsible for damaging multiple undersea cables in the Red Sea near the Bab al-Mandab strait. However, the cause of the cable cuts has not been officially confirmed.
Repairs for undersea cables are complex and time-consuming, often taking weeks. No official comment has been made by the governments in Saudi Arabia or the UAE, nor from the telecom providers directly affected.
Deliberate attacks on undersea fiber optic cables are a possibility, raising concerns in the region. Microsoft announced increased latency in the Mideast due to undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea, and the United Arab Emirates is among the regions affected by the cable cuts.
As the world becomes increasingly reliant on the internet for communication, commerce, and entertainment, disruptions like these highlight the importance of maintaining and protecting the infrastructure that supports global connectivity.
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