Brace yourself for disruptions and slow internet services for at least over the next three weeks. An undersea cables used for carrying data traffic across 14 countries was cut off the coast of Egypt.
Three weeks will be the time taken in rectifying the cuts in the Europe India Gateway (EIG), Telecom Egypt North, South East Asia-Middle East-West Europe 4 (SMEWE4) and India-Middle East-Western Europe cables.
Of these, EIG and TEN, which failed last week, are likely to be repaired completely by April 22. But there is no clear forecast for repairing of the SMEWE4 cable, disrupted in the last 24 hours.
These submarine cables are typically maintained and operated by a group of telecommunications companies that include Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications, Tata Communications and BSNL in India.
Even as companies have maintained that services have not been impacted, it is expected to show signs in India once people resume work on Monday after a long weekend.
Bharti Airtel spokesperson said that their services are normal but some Tata Communications subscribers reported interrupted services on Wednesday. Services offered by Reliance Communications and BSNL have not been affected yet.
The affected cable is an 18,800 km communication line connecting Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Egypt, Italy, Tunisia, Algeria and France.
The other cable that has been affected is a 13,000 km system between India and France. It has landing stations at Mumbai, Karachi, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Italy and France.
The third affected cable is the Europe India Gateway system that is considered the first direct connection between India and the UK.
Reportedly, the Egyptian navy has arrested three scuba divers accused of cutting an undersea Internet cable off the coast of the northern city of Alexandria.
The men said they were salvaging shipwrecks to sell when they spotted the cable and tried to take it.
And this explains the horrible internet speed I've been having.
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