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- Strait Of Hormuz Crisis: Internet Blackout Risk For India & World Amid Iran Conflict
New Delhi7 minutes ago
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Most of India’s international internet bandwidth comes through the Arabian Sea and the Gulf region.
After the worldwide energy crisis due to the Strait of Hormuz being affected due to the US-Israel and Iran war, there is now a danger of internet being disrupted. The reason for this is that not only does 20% of the world’s crude oil and 25% of LNG pass through the Hormuz Route, but internet cables are also laid under this route.
If tension increases in this area or cables are damaged, internet speed may slow down all over the world including India. Experts believe that this area is not only an energy chokepoint but also a digital chokepoint.
97% of global data passes under the sea
Often people think that internet works through satellite, but the reality is different. About 95 to 97% of the world’s data is transferred through fiber optic cables.
These cables are laid under the sea. The main cables connecting India to Europe, Africa and West Asia pass through this route. This includes large cable systems such as SEA-ME-WE, AAE-1 and EIG.
Cables connecting India to Europe, Africa and West Asia pass through the Hormuz Route.
Why is the threat big for India?
India’s digital economy is largely dependent on these maritime routes. Most of India’s international internet bandwidth comes through the Arabian Sea and the Gulf region.
- Latency will increase: If the cables are damaged, traffic will have to be diverted to the longer ‘Pacific Route’. This will increase latency i.e. data travel time.
- Internet will be slow: Buffering will increase on platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Netflix. There will be delays in video calls and cloud services.
Impact on IT sector worth Rs 23.48 lakh crore
India’s IT and outsourcing sector is worth about $250 billion (23.48 lakh crore). Real-time connectivity with American and European clients rests on this low-latency network.
In case of cable cut, companies may suffer huge losses, due to which there is a fear of service agreements (SLA) being broken and penalties being imposed. Apart from this, banking transactions like remittance (sending money) and SWIFT coming from Gulf countries may also slow down.
About 95 to 97% of the world’s data is transferred through fiber optic cables. Photo source- https://www.submarinecablemap.com
Will the internet be completely shut down?
The Internet is designed in such a way that if one path is closed, traffic goes to another path (re-routing). Therefore, the possibility of ‘total blackout’ i.e. complete shutdown of the internet is less.
However, due to re-routing, the load on alternative routes will increase, which will reduce the speed significantly. Sectors like the stock market and high-frequency trading, where milliseconds matter. There may be a big financial risk there.
India is investing on new options
In view of this danger, many countries including India are now investing on alternative routes. Satellite internet services like Elon Musk’s Starlink are being seen as backup.
In the future, there are plans to lay cables that can bypass sensitive areas. At present, the increasing geopolitical tension in Hormuz is raising the concern of the digital world more than oil prices.
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