[goles]

Hard to find good sources on this.

Guardian article (Feb 5, 2024), "Houthi-linked Telegram channel published a map of the cables running along the bed of the Red Sea. The image was accompanied by a message: “There are maps of international cables connecting all regions of the world through the sea. It seems that Yemen is in a strategic location, as internet lines that connect entire continents – not only countries – pass near it.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/05/houthis-may-sa...

MEMRI publishes word for word quote of above with screenshots of Telegram group (Dec 24, 2023).

https://www.memri.org/jttm/veiled-threat-telegram-channels-l...

Today (Feb 26, 2024) @Netblocks posts screenshot of drop in traffic.

https://twitter.com/netblocks/status/1762115571376685524

Sunil Tagare - Founder & CEO, OpenCables (Feb 25, 2024)

How can these be repaired? Can it even be done safely? Insurance of operating a specialized boat in these waters? (paraphrasing)

https://twitter.com/tagaresunil/status/1761859936617959443

[perihelions]

- "How can these be repaired? Can it even be done safely? Insurance of operating a specialized boat in these waters? (paraphrasing)"

.

- "[Flag Telecom founder and telecoms entrepreneur Sunil Tagare] also posted that no cable ship provider was willing to provide repairs in the area and that insurance companies would cancel policies for cable ships attempting to operate in Yemeni waters. Again, DCD hasn’t been able to confirm these claims."

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/at-least-one-subs...

[instagib]

After watching a pirate vs coalition documentary, you can imagine the cartoonish dollar signs in the eyes of the insurance for piracy industry. Only one person would speak on camera. Loosely quoted “we increased our profits by 35% this year after insuring ships in the gulf of Aden.” Interviewer what would happen if the pirates stopped >> “we would not be very happy about it”.

It costs about 20k per ship for insurance. Armed/unarmed militia onboard security is quite expensive though and they didn’t quote a price. I’m sure they can work it out with the coalition, insurance, and workmen for all the risks involved.

I don’t know if anyone here realizes how valuable these cables are. Satellite time is incredibly expensive. Using other undersea cable routes is bad because now you are in a situation where bandwidth limitations may come into play but mainly lack of alternatives if those remaining cables have issues. I wouldn’t say it’s common to have issues but it is not uncommon.

last quote of the documentary per pirate leader “we are considering going back to the old ways of cutting throats”.