Repairing Damaged Undersea Internet Cables in Red Sea Amid Militant Attacks on Ships

Repairs to three key Red Sea telecommunications submarine cables damaged since February have begun despite ongoing militant attacks. The AAE-1 cable, a vital 25,000-kilometer fiber-optic link between Asia and Europe, was repaired by E-Marine, a subsidiary of Emirates Telecommunications Group, and is now operational. The same vessel, Niwa, continues to work on rebuilding the Seacom and EIG cables.

The cables were cut by anchor of a cargo ship sunk by Houthi fighters in late February. Repairs have been delayed by difficult access to Yemeni waters, made more difficult by the country’s divided government and the Red Sea, a conflict zone. It took months of negotiations involving cable operators and Yemen’s two ruling factions to begin repairs.

Vulnerability of subsea infrastructure: The disruption of these cables, which are essential for connecting Europe, the Middle East, India and Asia, forced carriers to reroute data traffic at significant costs. The incident highlighted the vulnerability of underwater infrastructure and the difficulty of carrying out repairs in conflict zones. Houthi militants have stepped up attacks on ships in the area, affecting global shipping lanes and raising concerns about the security of underwater cables.

Obtaining permits for repairs has required complicated negotiations, particularly in the case of the AAE-1 cable, due to disputes over the alleged links of the TeleYemen consortium with the Houthis. While the AAE-1 cable has been repaired, how the permit was obtained remains unclear.