Microsoft Cloud Outage Caused by Red Sea Cable Damage

On Sunday, it was confirmed by Microsoft that its Azure cloud platform had been experiencing significant delays in parts of the Middle East due to “undersea fibre cuts” in the Red Sea. The Microsoft Cloud Outage was first observed on Saturday, though no explanation has been provided regarding the exact cause of the cable damage. It was clarified by the company that network traffic outside the Middle East had not been affected.

In an official statement, it was explained by Microsoft that “network traffic not traversing through the Middle East is not impacted,” and that rerouting efforts were being undertaken to keep services partially operational despite the disruption.

It was reported by the internet monitoring group NetBlocks that several submarine cable outages in the Red Sea had degraded internet connectivity in multiple countries, including India and Pakistan.

The Red Sea has long been considered a critical passage for global submarine cables, as routes were established along major shipping lines. However, anxiety has been increasing since late 2023, when attacks on merchant vessels were carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels—actions claimed to be in solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza conflict.

For decades, the laying and management of submarine cables had been overseen by large telecom consortia. In more recent years, however, control has been taken over largely by global internet companies, as the demand for data capacity has expanded rapidly.

At present, nearly 1.4 million kilometers (almost 900,000 miles) of fibre optic cables have been laid across the ocean floor, enabling essential services such as global trade, banking, healthcare, and online education.

According to the International Cable Protection Committee, between 150 and 200 outages are reported every year worldwide, averaging nearly three incidents per week. The vast majority of recorded damage is believed to have been caused by fishing and ship anchoring, while natural hazards such as ageing, abrasions, and equipment failure have also been noted.

The Microsoft Cloud Outage has been viewed as another reminder of how fragile undersea internet infrastructure remains, and how significantly its disruption can impact global connectivity.

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