Internet connectivity in parts of the Middle East and Asia has been affected by subsea cable outages in the Red Sea, according to internet monitoring group Netblocks.
One of the world’s biggest computing platforms, Microsoft Azure, has also been impacted by the outage.
“We do expect higher latency on some traffic that previously traversed through the Middle East,” Microsoft said in an update.
“Network traffic that does not traverse through the Middle East is not impacted.”
Microsoft has not explained the extent of the damage but said it had been able to reroute traffic through other paths.
There have been concerns that the cables could be targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, in an effort to put pressure on Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, the Houthis have denied attacking the cables in the past.
Pakistan and India are among the affected countries, with the Pakistan Telecommunications Company saying the cuts occurred in the waters near the Saudi city of Jeddah, and the internet could be down during peak hours.
