Middle East internet slows after Red Sea cables cut: What to know
Yemen's internationally recognized government accused the Houthi rebels of planning to attack underwater cables in the Red Sea in February 2024.
Kuwaiti authorities were forced to divert internet traffic to a backup cable on Sunday after cables in the Red Sea were cut, while telecom providers in the United Arab Emirates said service was hindered by the damage.
What happened: Kuwait’s Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority said on Sunday it was informed of cuts to a GCX Falcon cable, causing temporary disruptions. Technical teams rerouted traffic to a backup cable, taking four hours to restore service, according to the authority.
The cable system runs more than 11,800 kilometers (7,300 miles) and provides internet to operators in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Yemen and Sudan, among other countries, according to information portal Submarine Networks Co.
Authorities in other Gulf states did not comment on the issue, though the Emirati telecom providers e& and du said on Sunday that users may experience slowdowns due to a submarine cable cut.
