Internet and telecommunication services faced disruptions worldwide, especially in Asia, as submarine cables in the Red Sea were damaged, leading to rerouted traffic between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Hong Kong’s HGC Global Communications reported significant disruptions after four major telecom networks’ cables were “cut.” About 25% of traffic between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East experienced disruptions due to the cable damage.
Internet Connection Repair
Seacom, the owner of one affected cable system, stated that repair work would not commence for at least a month, awaiting permits for operations in the impacted area. The incident occurred amid geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea, where Houthi rebels were allegedly targeting ships linked to Israel and Western countries.
The damaged cables include the 25,000-kilometer Asia-Africa-Europe 1 cable system, connecting Southeast Asia to Europe via Egypt. The exact cause and responsible parties for the cable damage remain undisclosed. Despite earlier reports implicating the Houthis, the rebel group, led by Abdel Malek al-Houthi, denied intentions to target sea cables providing internet services to regional countries. The disruption highlights the vulnerability of critical communication infrastructure in regions facing geopolitical unrest.
