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Global Internet Traffic at Risk as Hormuz Becomes Conflict Zone
6 Mar
Summary
- Strait of Hormuz, vital for internet cables, is now a conflict zone.
- Ongoing cable repairs halted due to heightened security risks.
- New cable projects and India's digital ambitions face delays.
The Strait of Hormuz, critical for a third of India's westward internet traffic, has become a new geopolitical flashpoint, significantly increasing risks for vital undersea cables. Previous assumptions about safe transit routes are being challenged by the escalating conflict in West Asia. Security concerns have forced a halt to ongoing cable repair operations since September 2025, impacting systems like Airtel's SEA-ME-WE 4 and Flag Telecom's FALCON.
This disruption not only complicates expensive and time-consuming repairs but also impacts new subsea cable constructions, including projects by Reliance Jio and Google. The region, once considered a safer alternative to the Red Sea for cable redundancy, now faces heightened costs and delays. The conflict's potential for prolonged business disruption could significantly impede India's $270 billion data centre ambitions and its goal of becoming a cloud services export hub.
Data centres themselves are not immune, with recent drone attacks on Amazon Web Services facilities in the UAE and Bahrain highlighting their vulnerability. Assets perceived as foreign are increasingly becoming high-visibility targets amidst evolving geopolitical tensions, adding another layer of risk to critical digital infrastructure.
