Key Facts Undersea Cable Cuts Cripple Connectivity from Asia to the Middle East A sudden undersea cable crisis struck in early September, severing two key fiber-optic lines that carry internet traffic between continents. On Sept 7, network monitors at NetBlocks detected that the SEA-ME-WE 4 (SMW4) and IMEWE submarine cables were cut near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia reuters.com.…
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Infrastructure and Satellite Expansions Over the past 48 hours, major investments in physical internet infrastructure were unveiled worldwide. SpaceX capped a busy summer of launches with yet another batch of 24 Starlink broadband satellites lifted into orbit on August 29 ts2.tech. This marked SpaceX’s fourth Starlink launch in a month, expanding its constellation (now over 8,000…
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Myanmar’s internet landscape stands at a volatile crossroads. Once celebrated for a rapid digital leap in the 2010s, the country now oscillates between forced blackouts and furtive hopes of satellite-powered connectivity. Following a 2021 military coup, Myanmar’s connectivity has been marred by infrastructure damage, government-imposed shutdowns, skyrocketing costs, and draconian censorship. Yet even as the…
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Infrastructure Overview Iran’s internet infrastructure is a mix of aging fixed broadband and expanding mobile networks, all under strain from sanctions and state control. Fixed broadband largely relies on ADSL (phone-line internet) and a limited fiber-optic rollout. The government has ambitious fiber plans – aiming to cover 20 million premises with fiber by end of…
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