All articles tagged with #undersea cables
Iran says it will charge license fees to Big Tech for using undersea cables that pass beneath the Strait of Hormuz, naming Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft; the move could push US firms to pursue overland fiber routes and Gulf-led projects as wartime disruptions and repair delays threaten the chokepoint.
Experts warn that coordinated attacks on undersea fiber-optic cables could trigger global economic chaos by disrupting the internet, banking, energy markets and military communications. Cables carry 99% of global internet traffic and support about $10 trillion in daily financial transactions, making this hybrid warfare a major vulnerability; lawmakers are moving to bolster subsea cable security amid U.S.-China tensions over Taiwan.
Britain said a Russian Akula-class submarine briefly approached UK waters as part of a broader GUGI seabed operation to locate and potentially sabotage critical undersea fibre cables; the Royal Navy and allied forces tracked both the submarine and a separate Russian group for weeks, publicly exposing the activity and forcing retreat, with about 500 British personnel involved and substantial RAF P-8 flight hours. The incident highlights the strategic vulnerability of undersea cables, which carry the majority of international data, and prompted increased seabed-defense investments and ongoing high readiness by UK forces.
Britain and Norway led a joint patrol to defend critical undersea cables in the North Atlantic, deterring Russian submarines after monitoring a Russian attack sub and two spy subs for over a month; a fleet of at least 13 warships, with planes and hundreds of personnel, tracked the activity before the vessels departed. The operation underscores Western efforts to safeguard infrastructure amid tensions over Ukraine and sanctions evasion, and Norway's defence tie with the UK is expanding, including the purchase of British-made frigates.
The first-ever transoceanic fiber-optic cable is being ripped from the ocean floor, signaling a major renewal of the global internet backbone and highlighting the vast network of subsea cables that carry most intercontinental traffic.
Baltic countries are on high alert after a series of suspicious undersea cable outages, with investigations into suspected sabotage by Russia amid heightened tensions following recent incidents and military responses, though some officials attribute the damage to poor seamanship and weather.
Finnish police detained the vessel Fitburg and its crew suspected of damaging an undersea telecoms cable between Helsinki and Estonia, amid rising concerns over sabotage and hybrid warfare in the Baltic Sea region, with multiple incidents raising alarms about critical infrastructure security.
China has accused two Taiwanese men of leading a smuggling operation involving a vessel that damaged undersea cables in February, amid ongoing tensions and accusations of hybrid warfare between China and Taiwan. Taiwan denies Chinese involvement, calling the incident a maritime accident, and criticizes China's public accusations and reward offers for information. The incident highlights the vulnerability of undersea cables, crucial for global communications, to sabotage and accidental damage.
Amid rising tensions with Russia, a series of undersea cable cuts in the Baltic Sea, linked to a Russian shadow fleet and suspected sabotage, have raised security concerns for Finland and NATO, prompting military responses and investigations into the mysterious incidents.
Undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea have caused internet disruptions in parts of Asia and the Middle East, with possible causes including accidental human activities or targeted attacks, though the exact reason remains unclear. Key cables affected include the SMW4 and IMEWE systems, which connect Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and disruptions have impacted countries like India, Pakistan, Kuwait, and the UAE.
Microsoft reported that multiple undersea cables cut in the Red Sea caused increased latency and connectivity issues for Azure cloud clients, affecting traffic in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. The company is monitoring and optimizing routing while repairs are underway, and other regions like India and Pakistan also experienced degraded internet connectivity due to the outages.
Microsoft Azure's cloud services experienced delays due to undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea, affecting internet traffic in the Middle East and parts of Asia, with rerouted traffic mitigating some impacts. The cause of the damage remains unclear, but such incidents highlight vulnerabilities in undersea infrastructure, which have been targeted or damaged in various regions amid geopolitical tensions.
Undersea cables in the Red Sea were cut, causing internet disruptions in parts of Asia and the Middle East, with suspected links to attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels amid ongoing regional conflicts and tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.
Undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea have disrupted internet access across parts of Asia and the Middle East, with potential links to attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels amid ongoing regional conflicts, though the exact cause remains unclear.
Microsoft announced that its Azure cloud platform is no longer experiencing issues after multiple undersea cables in the Red Sea were cut, which previously caused increased latency for traffic between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The company is working to mitigate the impact while repairs are underway, though the cause of the cable cuts remains unspecified and repair efforts are complicated by regional conflicts.