Commercial shipping is the likely cause of a recent Red Sea cable cut that disrupted internet access across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, according to experts. The incident highlights the vulnerability of these critical communication lines, coming just over a year after a similar event.
The International Cable Protection Committee told The Associated Press that 15 submarine cables pass through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the southern entrance to the Red Sea that separates East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.
Over the weekend, authorities in multiple countries identified the affected cables as the South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4, the India-Middle East-Western Europe, and the FALCON GCX cables. On Tuesday, the Europe India Gateway cable was also added to that list, said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at Kentik.
Cut occurred in Saudi Arabia
Initial reports suggested the cut occurred off the coast of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a claim neither Saudi authorities nor the cable management companies have acknowledged. The disruption affected internet access in countries throughout Asia and the Middle East.
"Early independent analysis indicates that the probable cause of damage is commercial shipping activity in the region," John Wrottesley, the committee's operations manager, told the AP. "Damage to submarine cables from dragged anchors accounts for approximately 30 percent of incidents each year, representing around 60 faults".
Commercial vessel dropped its anchor
Madory also told the AP that the working assumption is that a commercial vessel dropped its anchor and dragged it across the four cables, severing the connections. Cables in the Red Sea can be at a shallow depth, making them more susceptible to damage from anchor drags.
Undersea cables forms backbone of internet
Undersea cables, along with satellite connections and land-based cables, form the backbone of the internet. While internet service providers typically have multiple access points to reroute traffic if one fails, it can still cause latency, or lag, for users. Madory said at least 10 nations in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including India, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates, had been affected by the cable cuts.
Cable security
Cable security has also been a concern amid attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea as a result of the Israel-Hamas war. In early 2024, Yemen's internationally recognized government in exile alleged that the Houthis planned to attack undersea cables. Several were later cut, possibly by a ship attacked by the Houthis that then dragged its anchor, but the rebels denied responsibility.
