- Severe disruptions: The severed Red Sea fiber optic cable caused major internet and telecom service disruptions across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
- Economic impact: The cable cut led to delays in financial transactions, causing global market instability and significant economic losses.
- Enhanced resilience: IPTP Networks’ robust terrestrial infrastructure ensured continued connectivity through alternative routes, mitigating the impact of the submarine cable disruption.
In March 2024, the integrity of the global communications network was jeopardized due to the potential severing of the Red Sea undersea fiber optic cable. This essential cable, connecting Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, supports global financial markets and international communications. The incident emphasized the necessity of secure and stable fiber optic connections for the global economy and communication infrastructure.
Vital role of the Red Sea fiber optic cable
Submarine fiber optic cables are crucial for global communication, handling over 99% of the world’s international internet traffic and more than 80% of international telephone communications. These undersea cables facilitate real-time data transmission between major financial centers, ensuring fast, secure, and reliable financial transactions. They are the backbone of the modern financial industry and global communication.
Also read: Subsea cable maps: Charting global connectivity
Also read: What are subsea cables?
The threat of disruption
The potential severance of the Red Sea cable posed a severe threat to global communications and financial systems. Disrupting this cable would interrupt communication between continents, leading to widespread financial and economic repercussions. Global markets, dependent on the swift and secure transmission of financial data, would face delays, inaccuracies, and a drop in liquidity, causing market instability and panic.
The incident
On March 15, 2024, the Red Sea fiber optic cable was severed, affecting several submarine cables, including SEACOM, TGN (Tata Global Network), Africa Asia Europe-One (AAE-1), and the Europe India Gateway (EIG).
Additionally, significant disruption occurred in the Straits of Malacca, causing further internet disruption in South Asia. The damage, 440 km from Singapore, resulted in a total loss of traffic between Singapore and the affected landing station. Countries reliant on these submarine cable systems, such as Bangladesh, experienced severe impacts, losing a substantial portion of international internet capacity.
The disruption reduced the country’s internet capacity by approximately a third, highlighting the vulnerability of relying on a limited number of subsea cables for connectivity. Repair timelines were set to just two or three days due to the fault’s proximity to supply depots and cable ships, contrasting sharply with the prolonged repair times seen in the Red Sea due to regional instability.
Immediate and widespread impact
- Massive disruptions: The severance of vital undersea cables caused significant disruptions in internet and telecommunications services across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Financial hubs like London, Frankfurt, and Dubai experienced communication slowdowns, affecting stock exchanges, banks, and businesses. Major cities such as Cairo, Nairobi, and Johannesburg also experienced disruptions, impacting communications and internet services across the continent. Cities like Dubai, Riyadh, and Doha suffered severe internet outages, affecting businesses and daily life.
- Economic consequences: The disruption led to delays in financial transactions, causing panic in global markets. Stocks plummeted as traders struggled with delayed and incomplete information. Companies reliant on real-time data faced operational challenges, resulting in financial losses.
- Geopolitical tensions: The incident escalated tensions in the Middle East, drawing international condemnation and raising concerns about the security of critical infrastructure. Governments and international bodies had to address the implications of such an attack and discuss measures to prevent future occurrences.
Also read: Damaged Internet subsea cables are being repaired in Red Sea
Weaknesses of submarine cables
- Vulnerability to human interference: Despite being buried and protected, undersea internet cables can be intentionally damaged by human actions. This includes deliberate cutting or sabotage, which can be executed by non-state actors or during conflicts.
- Susceptibility to natural disasters: While rare, submarine cables can be affected by natural disasters like undersea earthquakes, tsunamis, and severe weather conditions. These events can cause physical damage to the cables or disrupt their functioning.
- High repair costs: Repairing submarine cables is a complex and costly process. It requires specialized cable ships and equipment, and skilled technicians, and can take a significant amount of time, especially if the damage is in deep or difficult-to-reach areas of the ocean.
- Limited redundancy: While there are multiple submarine cables, insufficient redundancy is a factor in handling the load if a major cable is cut. This can lead to significant delays and disruptions in global communication.
How the crisis was overcome
The immediate threat to the Red Sea fiber optic cable was mitigated through diplomatic efforts, heightened security measures, and the resilience of the global communications infrastructure. Here’s how:
- Enhanced security: Surveillance and security measures were bolstered to protect the submarine cable infrastructure, including increased naval patrols and monitoring of the cable routes. Surveillance systems detected any suspicious activities near the cables, and naval forces were on high alert to respond to threats.
- Infrastructure resilience: The global communications network’s inherent resilience played a critical role. Redundant systems and alternative cable routes helped mitigate the impact of potential disruptions. Traffic was rerouted through other submarine cables and terrestrial networks to ensure continuity of communication. Terrestrial cables as an alternative route provided a critical backup, maintaining the flow of data even when undersea cables were compromised.
- Technical expertise: The technical expertise and readiness of global telecommunications companies ensured that disruptions were quickly identified and addressed, minimizing downtime and maintaining communication flows. Companies like IPTP Networks played a vital role in providing alternative connectivity solutions and ensuring their infrastructure could handle increased traffic.
What are terrestrial cables?
To connect India or Southeast Asia to Europe, the most direct route typically passes through the Red Sea. But with the recent disaster, terrestrial cables are increasingly becoming an alternative route.
Terrestrial cables are communication cables that run on land, typically buried underground or mounted on poles. Unlike submarine cables, which are laid on the seabed to connect continents and cross oceans, terrestrial cables traverse countries, cities, and other land areas to provide connectivity. These cables are an essential part of the global telecommunications infrastructure, enabling high-speed data transmission and reliable communication networks.
Benefits of terrestrial cables
- Easier maintenance and repair: Terrestrial cables are much easier to access for maintenance and repairs compared to submarine cables. Technicians can quickly reach and fix issues without the need for specialized equipment or ships.
- Less vulnerability to natural disasters: While terrestrial cables can still be affected by natural disasters like earthquakes and floods, they are generally less exposed to the extreme conditions faced by submarine cables.
- Reduced risk of sabotage: Terrestrial cables are less prone to sabotage compared to their submarine counterparts. Multiple cables are often buried underground and protected by physical barriers, making it harder for individuals to access and damage them.
- Greater redundancy and flexibility: Terrestrial networks, like those operated by IPTP Networks, offer greater redundancy and flexibility. They can quickly reroute traffic in case of a disruption, ensuring continuity of service. IPTP Networks’ extensive network of data centres and points of presence around the world provides robust connectivity solutions.
Also read: Interview with Vladimir Kangin, CEO at IPTP Networks, and a 28-year voyage from USSR to Cyprus
IPTP Networks’ terrestrial infrastructure
IPTP Networks has leveraged these advantages to build a robust and reliable terrestrial infrastructure. Here’s how:
- Extensive points of presence: IPTP Networks has over 228 points of presence globally, ensuring widespread connectivity and redundancy. This extensive network allows for efficient rerouting of traffic in case of disruptions.
- Advanced data centres: With 72 data centres for hosting and colocation, IPTP Networks provides secure, high-performance environments for data storage and processing. These data centres are strategically located to optimize connectivity and minimize latency.
- Enhanced security measures: IPTP Networks employs rigorous security protocols to protect their terrestrial cables. This includes physical barriers, surveillance systems, and regular inspections to detect and prevent any potential threats.
- Comprehensive services: IPTP Networks offers a wide range of services including IP transit, MPLS, IPLC, and cloud connectivity. These services are designed to meet the diverse needs of their clients while ensuring high availability and performance.
- Proactive maintenance: Regular maintenance and monitoring of terrestrial lines by IPTP Networks ensure that potential issues are identified and resolved before they can cause significant disruptions. This proactive approach minimizes downtime and maintains service reliability.
