Map approximating cable cuts over the last two weeks and the immediate regions affected (red) Click to enlarge. (Source: DailyTech)
Over five tons of loose metal crushes errant conspiracy theories
The cause for at least one of the many failures that occurred recently
in the undersea fiber optic cables providing Internet connectivity to the
Middle East has finally been determined. The "FALCON" cable failure
is being blamed on an abandoned ship's anchor.
According
to the owners of the cable, FLAG Telecom, one end of the cut FALCON cable
was recovered in the Persian Gulf approximately 35 miles north of Dubai. While
the repair ship was searching the area, the 5-6 ton ship's anchor was also
discovered and hauled to the surface. An additional repair ship is working on
the cuts in the Europe-Asia cable -- repairs are expected to be completed by
Sunday, despite rough weather conditions in the area.
FLAG Telecom is also planning to run an additional cable, called the
"Mediterranean Cable," through a different route, which will be
"fully resilient" to cuts.
While a ship's anchor may be a less exciting cause for the damaged cables than
some of the more entertaining
and paranoid alternatives
proposed online -- the cut cables are shaping up to be no more than an
unfortunate coincidence.
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