According to telecom provider Interoute, three of the four underseas sub-cables connecting Asia to North America have been severed for unknown reasons. These cables carry more than 75% of the internet traffic between the America, Europe, and the Middle East. The cut occurred today somewhere in the Mediterranean, between Sicily and Tunisia, though, at present, the reasons for the cut are unknown; nevertheless, France Telecom has stated that it thinks an attack is "unlikely."

At present, 65% of internet traffic with India is offline, 59% with Singapore, 44% with Malaysia, 55% with Saudi Arabia, 52% with Egypt, 39% with Taiwan, and 51% with Pakistan. Yemen and Sudan have also reported phone and Internet difficulties Friday, though it is unclear whether this is tied to the outage. The breakage will probably take several days for the cables to be repaired, so business traffic is currently being routed through lines going to the US. More updates as they come.

In January this year a breakdown in an international undersea cable network disrupted Internet links to Egypt, India and Gulf Arab countries.

Posted: Dec 25, 2008 11:03 am