{
  "id": 12602994,
  "title": "Conflict in the Red Sea is forcing cloud giants to find a new route for the internet",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/conflict-in-the-red-sea-is-forcing-cloud-giants-to-find-a-new-route",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-07T10:00:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Rest of World Tech",
    "slug": "rest-of-world-tech",
    "url": "https://restofworld.org/2026/google-meta-red-sea-subsea-cables-houthi-yemen/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Cloud giants like Google, Microsoft, and Meta are grappling with increased costs to establish alternative internet routes due to ongoing conflict in the Red Sea. The Red Sea, which serves as a crucial data cable route between Europe and Asia, carries over 90% of data capacity between the two regions. The cables enter the sea at Bab al-Mandab, a 20-mile-wide strait between Yemen and Djibouti and Eritrea. The Houthi rebels, designated as a U.S. terrorist organization, seized control of Yemen's side of the strait in September, including the island of Mayyun. Saudi-backed government forces have reportedly retaken key positions around the strait, though the Houthis have denied these claims. In September, Google purchased a pair of fiber strands along Turkish state pipelines, paying two to three times the usual cost for newer lines. Microsoft has announced plans to invest over $400 million in Middle East subsea and land links by 2030. Almost all major cloud companies are seeking backup routes around the Red Sea, as a single cable cut could take months to repair due to the need for safety guarantees and permits. Three Red Sea cables were damaged in 2024 by drifting cargo ship anchors disabled by Iranian-backed Houthi missiles, leading to lengthy repair times. The three cloud companies together utilize around three-quarters of the world's international internet bandwidth.",
  "summary": "Google, Meta, and Microsoft are said to be securing expensive land routes as fighting around Yemen threatens the submarine cables connecting Europe and Asia.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}