How Internet Providers Get Around War Zones

In January 2008, two undersea cables located near Egypt’s coastline were damaged, now thought to be the result of a ship anchor. This incident caused Egypt to experience an 80% loss in internet connectivity and the disruption was not confined within Egypt’s borders. Countries across Asia reported internet slowdowns, with Saudi Arabia witnessing a 40% reduction to its national network. Even Bangladesh, located 3,700 miles away, saw a third of its internet connectivity eliminated.

The reason for such extensive disruptions from two cable cuts was an intricate chain of undersea fiber-optic cables, stretching from South Asia to Europe. The countries that relied mainly on this path and had only backup connections from the east were severely impacted by this loss.

Additionally, power struggles and conflicts in the Middle East pose another threat to establishing fiber-optic cable in the region. A bombing or shootout could disrupt financial transfers and transactions that span from London to Abu Dhabi, potentially leading to significant economic fallout.

In response to this disruption, companies demanded additional safeguards. Over the next five years, several large European and Asian telecom groups responded, establishing four new terrestrial fiber optic routes, connecting Europe to the Persian Gulf and South Asian economies. Despite being pricier, these routes offer a quicker connection, which is crucial for automated financial transactions.

However, these new networks have not eliminated all potential risk. The journey from Europe to South Asia still involves traveling through conflict-heavy regions. The JADI network, extending from Istanbul to Jeddah, particularly stands out. Less than a year after its inauguration, civil war broke out in Syria, causing significant damage and continuous network disruptions.

Networks in other sensitive regions also face complications. For example, the route bypassing the Suez via Israel and the path through Iraq have experienced varying degrees of political intrusion.

This volatility underscores the necessity for corporations and institutions to diversify their internet providers to mitigate the risk of future outages. In the words of internet intelligence expert Jim Cowie, the solution is politically neutral: More cable.

Minor enhancements were applied in 2025 for readability.