Red Sea Cable Cuts Cripple Microsoft Azure, Disrupt 17% of Global Internet Traffic

Multiple undersea fibre optic cables in the Red Sea have been damaged, crippling Microsoft’s Azure cloud services and slowing global internet traffic. The disruption has impacted nearly 17% of the world’s connectivity, exposing the fragility of critical digital arteries linking Asia and Europe.

Microsoft, in a status update, said Azure users may experience higher latency and delays. “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.

While rerouting has eased some of the load, users continue to face sluggish performance.

The Red Sea is one of the planet’s most vital internet corridors, carrying data through subsea cables that connect Europe, Asia, and beyond. The latest incident has disrupted several major systems, including SEACOM/TGN-EA, AAE-1, and EIG, curbing data flow across continents.

The cause of the damage is under investigation. Previous cable breaks in the region have been linked to shipping activity, particularly anchors, though experts warn that deliberate sabotage cannot be ruled out.

With regional conflicts already intensifying risks, analysts caution that undersea cables—largely invisible yet indispensable—could become deliberate targets, threatening the stability of global digital infrastructure.