2024-03-05 17:55:00
Four cables under the Red Sea have been found damaged, starting to affect many telecommunications service providers around the world. amidst the unrest situation in the Middle East
Foreign news agencies reported on March 4, 2024 that the fiber optic cable under the Red Sea which supports the flow of approximately 97% of Internet traffic around the world, four lines have been damaged over the past week. amid unrest in the Red Sea which Yemen’s Houthi rebel group Waiting to attack passing Israeli and Western ships.
HGC Communications Company A Hong Kong-based telecommunications operator reported that four Red Sea cables had been “cut” including the SEACOM, TGN, Africa Asia Europe-One and Europe India Gateway cables.
HGC said the damage affected regarding 25% of its internet data flows and is now redirecting flows through mainland China and the United States.
SEACOM Company, a telecommunications service provider in Africa which is based in Mauritius Confirm with news agency The Wall Street Journal said their cables in the Red Sea were damaged. And repairs will have to wait until at least the second quarter of this year due to the unrest situation in the region.
while the Europe India Gateway line, which was built by a group of investors including Major US telecommunications companies such as AT&T and Verizon also suffered losses. But as of Monday, March 4, no company was involved with the cable. Came out to confirm that their services were affected.
India’s Tata Communications, which runs TGN, confirmed to the AP that its cables had been damaged near Yemen. causing some services to crash Or does it require internet redirection?
A 2017 study by the US Department of Homeland Security estimated that 97% of all intercontinental electronic communications worldwide This takes place using undersea fiber optic cables. which is transported through the oceans around the world
The same study also points to the cable’s importance to the Middle East, with three divers attempting to cut an undersea cable near Alexandria in 2013. Egypt This caused Egypt’s internet speeds to drop by nearly 60%.
Reports of damage to the undersea cables began circulating last week. At least one Israeli media outlet blamed the Houthi rebels in Yemen for the attack.
However, the Houthis have always denied the allegations. In a statement they posted last week. The Houthis insist they want to preserve all undersea telecommunications cables and related services. Keep away from any risks. and promised It will also facilitate repairs and maintenance.
Other observers believe the cable may have been damaged by the British cargo ship ‘Rubymar’ sank under sea due to Houthi attack. Until the crew had to abandon ship on February 18, causing the ship to be left adrift in the Red Sea for several days. Drag the anchor along the seabed. and may accidentally damage the cable.
A SEACOM spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal that it is possible that their cables were damaged by the Rubymar ship, but they were not definitive on this matter.
1709663919
#undersea #cables #damaged #Red #Sea #affecting #internet #companies
