DUBAI: Global tech giant Microsoft on Sunday said network traffic for its Azure cloud computing platform was experiencing increased delays in parts of the Middle East due to “undersea fibre cuts” in the Red Sea.

Microsoft did not provide an explanation for what caused the cuts to the submarine lines but noted its network had been aff­ected since Saturday.

“Network traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not im­­p­acted,” the company said in a statement.

The internet access monitoring organisation Net­Blocks noted that a series of submarine cable outages in the Red Sea has degr­a­ded internet connectivity in several countries, incl­u­ding in India and Pakistan.

Global internet and telecom cables have followed shipping routes through the Red Sea, but there has been growing anxiety about the state of the lines after Yemen’s Houthi rebels began attacking passing merchant vessels in late 2023, in actions the group said was in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the Gaza war.

The laying and operation of underwater cables have long been the preserve of a consortium of large telecoms operators, but internet giants have largely taken over in recent years as they strive to keep up with ballooning flows of data.

About 1.4 million kilometres (nearly 900,000 miles) of fiber optic cables are laid on the ocean floor, enabling the provision of essential services such as trade, financial transactions, public services, digital health and education around the world.

Damage to submarine cables is not uncommon. According to the Int­e­rna­tional Cable Pro­tection Committee, there are an average of 150 to 200 outages per year worldwide, or around three incidents a week.

Fishing and anchoring is believed to be responsible for a vast majority recorded damage to the lines. Nat­ural hazards to the cables also include ageing, abrasions and equ­ipment failure.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2025