Microsoft Says Azure Cloud Service Disrupted by Fiber Cuts in Red Sea

Microsoft reported that its Azure cloud service suffered a major disruption after several fiber optic cables in the Red Sea were damaged.The incident caused slower internet speeds higher latency and interruptions for users and businesses across different regions. This event shows the weakness of Global internet infrastructure & highlights the urgent need for stronger and more reliable cloud Systems.

What Happened

The damage to undersea cables in the Red Sea affected Microsoft ability to deliver uninterrupted Azure services. Users in the Middle East, North Africa & East Africa reported outages, while customers in Europe and Asia experienced slower application performance. Because these cables carry most international data traffic the impact spread far beyond the immediate region.

Why the Red Sea Matters

The Red Sea is one of the world most important internet corridors. It connects Europe, Asia and Africa through submarine cables that pass near the Suez Canal. When those cables are damaged internet speeds drop across the Middle East, East Africa and even parts of Europe, Asia. Countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Qatar the UAE are particularly vulnerable to these disruptions as are coastal hubs like djibouti and Kenya.

Microsoft’s Response

To reduce the impact, Microsoft quickly rerouted traffic through its global cloud infrastructure. This backup system helped restore partial service, but many users continued to face downtime slower applications. The company said it is closely monitoring the situation while repairs to the damaged cables are being Planned.

Why Cable Cuts Are a Risk

• More than 95% of the world internet traffic depends on submarine cables.
• These cables are fragile and can be damaged by ship anchors, earthquakes or geopolitical conflicts.
• Unlike data centers or satellites, repairs to undersea cables are slow and expensive often taking weeks or even months.
• This makes submarine cables one of the weakest links in the digital economy especially for cloud providers like Microsoft Azure.

How Businesses Can Respond

For companies that rely heavily on Azure and other cloud platforms the outage is a reminder of the importance of planning for downtime. Businesses are advised to monitor the Azure Service Health Dashboard for updates, use backups in different regions and Consider adopting a multi cloud strategy to protect against similar disruptions in the future.