- Red Sea submarine cable delays limit global capacity in already strained regions
- Operators face hazardous conditions that interfere with the safe operation of vital installation crews.
- High-risk waters are forcing telecom companies to abandon long-planned deployment dates
Continued instability in the Red Sea has created major headwinds for tech giants and submarine cable operators, who now face lengthy construction pauses as security threats complicate every stage of deployment.
Cable-laying vessels require predictable access, stable waters and political permission, but these conditions no longer exist in an area where conflict has disrupted daily maritime activities.
Companies involved in building large systems expected to link Europe, Asia and Africa have confirmed that critical segments of their infrastructure cannot move forward because their ships and crews cannot operate safely.
Mission-critical projects are losing momentum
Meta 2Africa system and GoogleThe Blue-Raman project remains the most visible example of stalled work, with sections of the Red Sea still unfinished despite years of planning and extensive investment.
Operators responsible for additional cables, including India-Europe-Xpress, Sea-Me-We 6 and Africa-1, have been unable to complete planned routes, creating a bottleneck in a corridor that has historically handled large volumes of global data traffic.
These delays add pressure to countries that rely on limited cable routes and continue to experience slower speeds and higher prices.
Telecommunications groups are now looking at overland routes through Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Iraq in an attempt to bypass the Red Sea entirely – ironically routes that were once considered too expensive or politically challenging.
Some companies are exploring the possibility of obtaining waivers from the U.S. Treasury Department that would allow them to negotiate directly with Yemeni authorities to obtain permits for cable-laying operations.
Others discussed whether support from international security organizations might be needed to ensure safe access for vessels tasked with installation and maintenance.
The delays created wider operational problems as traffic diverted to alternative systems that were not designed to handle prolonged excess demand.
This congestion is impacting corporate services that depend on stable international routes, especially organizations that rely on broadband for business connections for everyday work.
Capacity shortages also complicate disaster recovery plans, since a sudden change in route creates additional dependence on cloud backup networks that must absorb unexpected loads.
Countries with fewer cable lines remain the most vulnerable because they lack the redundancy needed to withstand prolonged network outages.
These conditions suggest that the likelihood of further power outages will increase if geopolitical risks continue to block construction throughout the region.
By using Bloomberg
Follow TechRadar on Google News. And add us as your preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds. Be sure to click the “Subscribe” button!
And of course you can also Follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxing videos and get regular updates from us on whatsapp too much.
