Full Repairs to Damaged Red Sea Internet Cables Delayed by Yemen Political Splits

  • Yemeni government refuses permit for third cable repair
  • Repairs to Seacom and EIG cables to start imminently

An operator adjusts an undersea fiber optic cable.

Photographer: Ander Gillenea/AFP/Getty Images

Full repairs to three submarine internet cables damaged in the Red Sea in February are being held up by disputes over who controls access to infrastructure in Yemeni waters.

The Yemeni government has granted permits for the repair of two out of three cables, but refused the third because of a dispute with one of the cable’s consortium members.