Severed data cable downs Internet

Source: Agencies  |   2008-12-22  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

SPOTTY Internet service continued to plague the Middle East as it began its working week yesterday, with service providers rerouting data hampered by severed underwater cables.

Emirati provider Etisalat said service was at about 85 percent capacity yesterday ?? the same as on Saturday. The Abu Dhabi-based company has arranged to redirect some of its data traffic through South Asia, spokesman Saeed al-Badi said.

Dubai-based Emirates Integrated Telecommunications, better known as Du, said on Saturday it was rerouting data and international voice traffic through Asia and the western United States.

Officials could not immediately be reached yesterday.

Egypt's Communications Ministry made a similar announcement on Saturday that it was rerouting traffic through Indian Ocean cables after the main ones in the Mediterranean were cut.

After there was no connection on Friday and much of Saturday, Internet service was restored to Egypt at around 70 percent capacity yesterday.

The ministry said the repair work may take up to a week.

Friday's cut was the second large-scale Internet outage in the region this year.