Red Sea Cable Damage Will Cause Weeks of Internet Disruptions? Here’s What You Need to Know

Experts now believe that recent disruptions to undersea internet cables in the Red Sea were caused by a ship anchor, dismissing earlier concerns of sabotage. The incident has slowed internet connectivity across parts of Asia and the Middle East by damaging critical subsea lines in a vulnerable area.

According to the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), nearly 15 subsea cables pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where shallow seabeds expose them to maritime accidents. Over the weekend, three major systems—SEA-ME-WE-4, IMEWE, and FALCON GCX—sustained damage. Additionally, Kentik’s Internet analysis director, Doug Madory, confirmed the Europe India Gateway cable was also impacted on September 9.

Microsoft’s Azure network detected increased latency at around 06:00 UTC on September 6, linking the slowdown to cable damage in the Red Sea. While global internet traffic did not collapse entirely, users relying on Middle Eastern routes faced significant slowdowns. Traffic rerouting helped restore access but reduced overall network performance.

Connectivity monitoring group NetBlocks reported disruptions in at least ten countries, including Pakistan, India, and the UAE. Customers of service providers Etisalat and Du were especially affected. Although rerouting kept services operational, performance remained degraded.

The ICPC’s conclusion contrasts with earlier fears that the outages were caused by sabotage from Houthi forces. So far, no evidence supports deliberate attacks. While the Houthi-run Al-Masirah news outlet acknowledged the outages using NetBlocks data, it did not claim responsibility. Yemen’s exiled government has previously accused the Houthis of similar damage, which the group denies.

Repairs to the severed cables are expected to take weeks. Specialized ships are required for restoration, and ongoing regional conflicts could further delay the process.

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