Exploring the convergence of 16 optical cable routes, even a minor glitch can paralyze the global Internet.

The internet cable Asia-Africa-Europe-1 spans 25,000km along the seabed, linking Hong Kong to Marseille, France. Passing through the South China Sea and heading towards Europe, this cable provides internet connectivity to over ten countries, from India to Greece (including Vietnam). When the cable was cut on June 7, millions found themselves in a state of intermittent connectivity or total internet outage.

Also known as AAE-1, the cable was severed as it traversed the Egyptian mainland, causing immediate and substantial damages. According to Rosalind Thomas, CEO of SAEx International Management, 'It affected at least 7 countries, with critical services severely impacted.' Ethiopia lost 90% of its connectivity, and Somalia was subsequently affected by 85%. Cloud services from Google, Amazon, and Microsoft were also disrupted.

Although connectivity was restored within hours, the AAE-1 incident revealed the fragility of over 550 undersea internet cables worldwide.

Alongside Egypt and the Red Sea's significant role in internet infrastructure, the undersea fiber optic network has become a vital backbone of the internet, handling the majority of global data. It interconnects with various networks such as mobile networks and Wi-Fi connections, linking undersea cables connecting New York to London and Australia to Los Angeles.

The most sensitive spot of the internet lies in the Red Sea region of Egypt, where 16 fiber optic cables traverse over 1,200 km across the Red Sea before reaching the Egyptian mainland to connect the Mediterranean Sea with Europe and Asia.

Over the past two decades, this area has been regarded as one of the world's largest internet hubs but also the most vulnerable, often experiencing disruptions due to ship anchors and earthquakes.

This region has recently garnered significant attention from the European Parliament. In a June report, the agency emphasized that the area poses a risk of widespread internet disruption. The EU's greatest choke point concerns the route between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean via the Red Sea because all core connections to Asia pass through this route, raising concerns of potential attacks from extremists, terrorists, or pirates.

A glance at Egypt on the world's undersea internet cable map immediately reveals why internet experts have been so concerned about this area for many years. Sixteen cables converge in close proximity and traverse the Red Sea, touching land in Egypt, where they embark on a journey of over 100km across the country to reach the Mediterranean Sea.

It's estimated that about 17% of global internet traffic flows through these cables, passing through Egypt. Alan Mauldin, research director at the telecommunications market research firm TeleGeography, stated that last year this region had a capacity of 178 Terabits, equivalent to 178,000,000 Mbps, while the average household internet speed in the United States is 167 Mbps.

While Elon Musk's Starlink has popularized satellite internet, such systems cannot replace underwater cables. Satellites are used to provide connectivity in rural or emergency backup locations, but they cannot completely replace physical infrastructure.

However, the biggest effort to bypass Egypt comes from Google. In July 2021, the company announced they are creating an undersea cable route called Blue-Raman to connect India to France. The cable passes through the Red Sea, but instead of crossing the Egyptian mainland, it reaches the Mediterranean via Israel.

Google did not respond to interview requests, but the cable's route may come with its own geopolitical challenges. Google has divided the cable into two separate projects: Blue running through Israel to Europe, while Raman connects to Saudi Arabia before moving on to India.

The new route is expected to be operational by 2024, potentially paving the way for more cables to pass through Israel afterward. As one cable is built, others will follow. Madory added, 'It's difficult to turn a proposal or idea into reality unless you're Google and you have infinite financial resources to do so.'

Ultimately, Egypt will always remain the hub of internet connections between Europe and Asia, its geographical position immutable. However, Mauldin emphasized, more must be done to safeguard underwater internet cables worldwide, as everyone relies on them. 'It's extremely important for national security, for the economy, to maintain the operation of these.'

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