Internet problems continue with fourth cable break

PROBLEMS CONTINUE: A fourth undersea telecoms cable has been damaged between Qatar and the UAE. (Getty Images)

Internet services in Qatar have been seriously disrupted because of damage to an undersea telecoms cable linking the Gulf state to the UAE, the fourth such incident in less than a week.

UPDATE: Flag plays down net blackout conspiracy theories

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) said on Sunday the cable was damaged between the Qatari island of Haloul and the UAE island of Das on Friday.

The cause of damage is not yet known, but ArabianBusiness.com has been told unofficially the problem is related to the power system and not the result of a ship's anchor cutting the cable, as is thought to be the case in the other three incidents.

It is expected to take at least "a few days" to fix, according to one person with knowledge of the situation.

The damage caused major problems for internet users in Qatar over the weekend, but Qtel's loss of capacity has been kept below 40% thanks to what the telecom said was a large number of alternative routes for transmission.

It is not yet clear how badly telecom and internet services have been affected in the UAE. Etisalat is expected to release a statement on Monday.

UPDATE: UAE unaffected by fourth internet cable break

Parts of the Gulf Arab region were plunged into a virtual internet blackout on Wednesday when two undersea cables were cut near Alexandria, on Egypt’s north coast.

The initial breaches were in segments of two intercontinental cables known as Sea-ME-We-4 and Flag Europe-Asia.

The situation was made worse on Friday when Flag, part of India's Reliance Communications, revealed a third cable, Falcon, had also been damaged off the UAE coast.

Etisalat said it does not use the Falcon cable and is therefore unaffected, but the UAE's second telco, Du, warned the damage could hamper its efforts to restore normal service to customers. Etisalat said it is helping Du minimise disruption.

Flag said a repair ship was expected to arrive at the location of the third damaged cable in the next few days, but bad weather has prevented the vessel from setting off from Abu Dhabi port.

The ship is now expected to depart Monday morning and the repairs should take five days.

The third cable is located 56 kilometres from Dubai on a segment between the UAE and Oman.

Etisalat said it had been informed by Flag Telecom, which operates one of the two damaged cables in the Mediterranean Sea, that the problem should be fixed in two weeks, while the operator of the other cable planned to carry out repairs on February 8.

Flag said on Saturday a ship should reach the cable repair ground by February 5.

Two weeks of net disruption - Etisalat
UAE telecom says it has been informed damaged undersea cable could take up to two weeks to repair.

Internet crisis deepens
Third undersea cable break between UAE and Oman adds to web woes after two breaks just days earlier.

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READERS' COMMENTS

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Have your say

Tapping fiber
Posted by congressive on Tuesday 5 February 2008 at 10:11 UAE time


To tap fiber, it must be cut. Offshore taps such as these would allow virtually all data to the Middle East to be intercepted without detection, except for the blackout of service while the taps were being installed.

Or it could be a freaky coincidence.

It is persian gulf
Posted by jack, iran on Tuesday 5 February 2008 at 09:14 UAE time

No body of water by that name has ever existed. The correct name is the Persian Gulf, which always has been, and will always remain, Persian.

Four in one week?
Posted by Rainigade, Dubai, UAE on Monday 4 February 2008 at 17:33 UAE time


At the risk of sounding like a conspiracy theorist - I must agree that there is something afoot in FOUR cables being "cut" in a matter of a week. Funny how three ships' anchors were mislaid all in a short period of time.

However, the point of my submitting a comment today was to WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with Heba, from Egypt. Loved her comment on the photograph - it made me laugh out loud at work!

Suspicious cable break
Posted by Jason on Monday 4 February 2008 at 16:56 UAE time


Iran actually lost 100% internet connectivity with 100% packet loss. The following link shows clearly who was and wasn't affected using a universal internet performance measurement.
http://www.internettrafficreport.com/details.htm

4th Cable break
Posted by Alex Fisken, Dubai, UAE on Monday 4 February 2008 at 14:01 UAE time


Details: Good morning,
I fully appreciate that the severing of an internet cable is not the fault of Etisalat, DU or any other service providor.
However when I am paying a VASTLY INFLATED FEE for a service I do not receive (this is the 3rd time in 2 years) that is the responsibility of the service providor.
Either reduce the charges OR increase the bandwith for the same price for your customers.
We are customers so where is the 'best in class' customer service?
Non-existant I guess

It's not a coincidence...
Posted by Samer on Monday 4 February 2008 at 10:06 UAE time

... it's Godzilla

Undersea Internet cable cut – Should Iran be worried?
Posted by Behrooz, Dubai, UAE on Monday 4 February 2008 at 09:39 UAE time


Dear Rabbit;
Take a look at this article by American Chronicle:
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/51085

It is saying that it might be a military reaction test by Americans:

"On the assumption that the cables cut were no accident, we must ask ourselves who would do such a thing and why. Clearly Iran, who were most affected, would gain nothing from such an action and are perhaps the target of those responsible?

But why would anyone want to disrupt communications in Iran (and other countries)? Could this be some subtle message to Iran, an example of how their communications can be affected by outside forces? Maybe this is a prelude to an attack, or perhaps a test run for a future one?"

4 communications cables cut
Posted by Rabbit, Perth, Australia on Monday 4 February 2008 at 08:09 UAE time

Anyone who thinks four such cables cut in one week is just a series of accidents is profoundly stupid.

The thing which is not being reported by the corporate propaganda press is that Iran above all has been cut off by these acts of sabotage.

4th cable break
Posted by Graham, canada on Monday 4 February 2008 at 02:52 UAE time


It seems now to be way beyond the realm of coincidence that a further 4th critical international communications cable should break within seven days. Obviously something untoward is happening beyond accident or random event.

4th cable cut
Posted by Nick Mihaleff, Sydney, Australia on Monday 4 February 2008 at 01:35 UAE time

These cables being cut are a signature of either the US or Israel cutting the cables in preparation for military actions against Iran. The cables being cut gives them a cover of blackout for news from the Middle East.

So what's the relevance of the photo?
Posted by Heba, Egypt on Sunday 3 February 2008 at 20:45 UAE time


Internet is down, but what is the relevance of the photo that is published with the article? If the internet is down then you may be lucky to see a distressed handsome man?

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