Red Sea cable cuts cripple Microsoft Azure, disrupt 17% of global internet traffic

The geopolitical instability in the region, particularly with ongoing conflicts, has raised concerns about the deliberate targeting of critical infrastructure.

Multiple undersea fibre optic cables in the Red Sea have been damaged, triggering significant service disruptions for Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform and slowing global internet traffic.

In a status update, Microsoft said Azure users could experience higher latency, especially for traffic moving between Asia and Europe. “Undersea fibre cuts can take time to repair; as such, we will continuously monitor, rebalance, and optimise routing to reduce customer impact in the meantime,” the company noted, adding that daily updates will be provided.

Rerouting data traffic has eased some of the pressure, but users are still facing delays and slower-than-usual connections.

The Red Sea is one of the world’s most critical arteries for internet connectivity. Nearly 17 percent of global traffic flows through subsea cables laid in its shallow waters, linking Europe and Asia.

The latest damage has hit several key systems, including SEACOM/TGN-EA, AAE-1, and EIG, disrupting a large share of data flow across continents.

Authorities are still determining what led to the cuts. Past incidents in the Red Sea have been traced to anchors dropped by commercial ships, though in some cases deliberate sabotage has been suspected.

With conflicts in the region already raising risks, experts fear critical digital infrastructure could become a deliberate target, further threatening global connectivity.

(With inputs from PTI)