Microsoft's Azure Cloud platform is facing significant outages after multiple undersea fiber optic cables in the Red Sea were cut. The US tech giant confirmed that users will experience delays and increased latency for services that rely on data traffic through the Middle East, although it managed to reroute data to prevent a complete outage. The company said the problem began at approximately 05:45 UTC on Saturday, September 6.
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In a status update, Microsoft explained, “Network traffic traversing the Middle East may experience increased latency due to a cut in undersea fiber in the Red Sea.” It assured customers that service was not disrupted, as traffic was immediately rerouted through alternative network paths. However, the company warned, “We expect higher latency on some traffic previously originating from the Middle East.”
Microsoft did not provide details about the cause of the cable damage. For businesses and users relying on the Microsoft Azure Cloud, the increased latency translates to slower response times for applications, websites and access . While not a complete outage, these delays can impact high-performance operations such as financial transactions, data processing and cloud-hosted services that require near-instant communication.
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Data rerouting, while a critical mitigation step, means that information must travel a longer, less direct route to its destination, creating a noticeable delay for affected users in various regions. The Red Sea serves as a vital and heavily used corridor for global internet connectivity, connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. A significant portion of global internet data passes through the undersea cables laid on its bottom. Damage to this narrow channel could have a disproportionate impact on international connectivity.
This incident, which affects Microsoft Azure Cloud, follows other reports over the weekend that suggested cable cuts had already affected internet services in the United Arab Emirates and parts of Asia, indicating a potentially widespread problem affecting multiple telecom providers. Microsoft confirmed that network traffic not routed through the Middle East remains completely unaffected by the incident. The company continues to monitor the situation closely and has promised to provide daily updates to its customers, with the last communication recorded at 19:52 UTC on September 7.
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The focus remains on managing network performance through alternative routes while further information is awaited on the complex and costly process of repairing the damaged subsea infrastructure. The cause of the outages is still under investigation.
