Archive · 3 Aug 2025
Houthi Attacks Disrupt India's Internet: Cable Route Rethink
Imagine the internet as a giant network of underwater cables, like roads for data.
These cables connect India to the rest of the world, letting you watch videos and use apps.
Now, some bad guys in the Red Sea are attacking ships, which damages these important underwater cables.
This slows down the internet for India.
To fix this, companies are building new 'roads' on land or using backup cables.
But it costs more money to make sure the internet keeps working, potentially making your internet bill higher.
It's like needing to take a longer, more expensive route to get to school because some roads are blocked.
Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are disrupting subsea cable routes vital to India's internet connectivity.
Cable cuts and anchor damage near Bab el-Mandeb have already slowed data speeds across India, Africa, and the Middle East.
Industry players are seeking redundancy through extra cables, land routes, and increased insurance.
Indian data traffic flows West via critical subsea links like Google's Blue-Raman and Bharti Airtel's 2Africa.
The cost of maintaining internet infrastructure resilience is increasing, potentially affecting consumers.
- Who
- Houthi rebels are attacking subsea infrastructure, impacting internet providers and users.
- What
- Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are disrupting subsea internet cables.
- When
- Ongoing, with prior incidents in 2023 and recent escalation.
- Where
- Red Sea, particularly near the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint.
- Why
- To maintain internet connectivity, companies need to reroute or repair cables to circumvent attacks.
Challenges
Solutions
Repair and Cost Challenges
Challenges
Subsea cable repair is time-consuming due to a shortage of repair ships.
Solutions
The cost of leasing fiber pairs and insurance is rising.
- Affected Cables
- Google Blue-Raman, 2Africa, Sea-Me-We 6, India-Europe-Express
- Key Location
- Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint
- Mitigation Strategy
- Terrestrial routes (e.g., IMEC), additional subsea cables
- Companies Involved
- Google, Meta, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, Tata Communications, FLAG Telecom
- India Submarine Cable Market Growth
- Expected to grow at 7.2% CAGR, reaching $78.6 million by 2030
- Global Submarine Cable Market
- Could touch $40.58 billion by 2028