Users of Microsoft’s Azure cloud services may have experienced delays due to undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea, Microsoft has confirmed.

Microsoft did not disclose what had caused the damage to the undersea cables.

The company that while network traffic would not be interrupted as it has rerouted traffic through alternated network paths, it expects higher latency on some traffic which previously traversed through the Middle East.

Undersea cables are laid on the ocean floor and transfer data between continents. They can be damaged by anchors dropped by ships and have previously been deliberately targeted.

Internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks said that the undersea cable cuts had caused disruption to internet services in Asia including India and Pakistan.

Microsoft Azure’s user base has grown significantly since it launched in 2010.

Data company Statista estimates that almost 40 per cent of organisations across the world use its services.

In January 2024, the UK government launched an inquiry to examine the security of undersea fibre-optic cables.

Currently there are around 500 cables around the world, carrying about 95 per cent of all international data.

Around 60 cables connect the UK to other countries, providing reasonable resilience if one is damaged.

However, if a there is simultaneous damage to multiple cables, the impact could be significant, especially during periods of conflict.

These cables are often long and remote, which makes them difficult and costly to monitor.
They are also vulnerable to natural events, accidental damage by vessels or deliberate sabotage.

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