Azure Disruption: Microsoft Reports Red Sea Cable Cuts Impact

Red Sea Cable Cuts Impact Azure Cloud Performance

Microsoft announced on Saturday that users of its Azure cloud platform could encounter heightened latency. This follows damage to several undersea cables in the Red Sea, as initially reported by Bloomberg.

Affected Regions and Services

The company’s status report indicated that data traffic routed through the Middle East, or destined for locations in Asia and Europe, was experiencing disruptions. The cause of the cable damage and the responsible parties remain currently unknown.

Repairing these undersea fiber cuts is a process that requires significant time. Consequently, Microsoft stated it would actively monitor network conditions, adjust routing, and optimize performance to minimize the impact on customers.

Resolution and Wider Impact

As of Saturday evening, Microsoft reported that no further Azure issues were being detected. However, the disruptions weren't limited to Azure alone.

NetBlocks documented that a series of outages affecting subsea cables in the Red Sea had resulted in diminished internet connectivity across numerous nations. This included disruptions in both India and Pakistan.

Houthi Rebel Involvement

The Associated Press reports that Yemen’s Houthi rebels have previously issued denials regarding attacks on cables. These denials came in the context of their Red Sea campaign intended to exert pressure on Israel.

This article has been updated to include details regarding impacted countries and statements from the Houthi rebels.

Further Details

• Undersea Cables: Critical infrastructure for global internet connectivity.
• Latency: A measure of delay in data communication.
• Azure: Microsoft’s cloud computing service.