Due to recent typhoons hitting the SEA region, several undersea cables connecting Asia and other countries that serves as the gateway to the Internet have been cut, leaving most ISPs in the country with slow to non-usable internet connections. A series of undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea have caused widespread internet slowdowns across Asia and the Middle East, with significant impacts reported in the UAE, India, Pakistan, and the broader Gulf region. On Saturday, September 6, 2025, multiple submarine fiber-optic cables were severed. A look at why cable disruptions seem to be happening more frequently, and what's at stake for Southeast Asia and Singapore. (Photo: iStock/imaginima) Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search. 1. Excessive Bending: Overly bending the fiber optic cable can result in signal degradation. Compression or Breakage of Fiber Optic Cable: When fiber optic cables experience uneven stress, such as. Fiber-optic cables are the backbone of modern connectivity—powering 5G networks, global internet backbones, and data center interconnections with near-light-speed data transmission. While these cables are engineered for durability (with some rated to last 25+ years), they are not invulnerable.