Microsoft Azure Experiences Network Delays Amid Submarine Cable Disruptions

Microsoft Azure may experience increased latency due to disruptions in several submarine cables across the Red Sea. The service interruption has necessitated rerouting data through alternative paths, potentially causing higher-than-normal network delays. Microsoft's engineering team is actively addressing the issue by diversifying capacity allocation and rerouting traffic. Data transmissions between Asia and Europe that route through the Middle East may face significant delays.

Microsoft Azure, one of the leading cloud computing services, has been experiencing service disruptions due to multiple undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea. The incidents, which occurred over the weekend, have led to increased latency for users, particularly those in Asia and Europe whose data routes through the Middle East.

According to Microsoft's status update, the service degradation started around 1:45 ET on Saturday morning and affected traffic passing through the Middle East originating in or terminating in Asia or European regions [1]. The company has rerouted traffic through alternative paths to minimize the impact, but this has resulted in higher-than-normal latencies during the repair process.

Microsoft's engineering teams are actively managing the interruption by diversifying capacity allocation and assessing alternative capacity options to reduce latency. The company has committed to providing daily updates or more frequent updates if conditions change [2].

The subsea cable network is a critical infrastructure for cloud services, and these disruptions highlight the vulnerability of such networks. Microsoft has been involved in the development of undersea data centers to address issues related to corrosion and temperature fluctuations [3].

Despite the disruptions, other Microsoft services and products remain unaffected. As of 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Microsoft's status website reported no Azure issues detected at this time.

References:
[1] https://www.newsweek.com/microsoft-warns-service-issues-subsea-cables-cut-red-sea-2125839
[2] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/microsoft-says-azure-cloud-service-disrupted-by-fiber-cuts-red-sea-2025-09-06/
[3] https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-says-azure-disrupted-fiber-205024704.html