Users of Microsoft Azure cloud services may experience delays due to damage to several underwater fiber optic cables in the Red Sea. Traffic has already been rerouted via alternative routes, but the company warned that recovery would take some time. This is reported by UNN with reference to the statement of Microsoft, the publication Bloomberg, the news agency Reuters.
Details
The company reported that the problems concern traffic passing through the Middle East and originating from or heading to Asia or Europe. Damage to underwater fiber optic cables was recorded from 05:45 UTC on September 6, 2025.
Repairing breaks in underwater fiber optics may take some time, so we will constantly monitor, rebalance, and optimize routing to minimize the impact on customers.
The Red Sea is a critically important telecommunications route connecting Europe with Africa and Asia via Egypt. The repair of damaged underwater cables may be complicated by regular attacks by Yemeni Houthis on vessels in the region.
Microsoft Azure is the second largest cloud service provider in the world, second only to Amazon Web Services (AWS).