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Tens of millions of internet users across the Middle East and Asia have been left without access to the web after a technical fault cut millions of connections. The outage, which is being blamed on a fault in a single undersea cable, has severely restricted internet access in countries including India, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and left huge numbers of people struggling to get online.
Observers say that the digital blackout first struck yesterday morning, with the Egypt's communications ministry suggesting it was caused by a cut in a major internet pipeline linking it to Europe.
Reports say that around 70% of the Egypt's online traffic was being blocked, while officials in Mumbai said that more than half of India's internet capacity had been erased, which could have potentially disastrous consequences for the country's burgeoning hi-tech industry.
Read full story: Guardian Unlimited
Related topics: Access Providers, Broadband, Telecom
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I have been reading on some of the email listst that I belong to that people are starting to suspect that this may be a terrorism related problem. Being a security minded person I am paranoid by nature and untrusting of any chance happening. I have been a sailor all of my life and remember when a cable might break and AT&T would have to send their ship "Long Lines" out to repair it. It was a rarity.
Now 3 cables in a week seem more than coincidental, especially considering where they are geographically located with one landing in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This leads me to wonder why? The people who our US government consider to be of the terrorist ilk seem to utilize the Internet as one of their favorite forms of communication. Why would they shoot themselves in the foot?
I really wonder if it is coincidence or on purpose. Only time will tell. Just a few thoughts late a night.
Richard