70 percent of Egypt's Internet network down
A fault in underwater cables is being blamed for the disruption of Internet connectivity for millions of users in the Middle East and India.
"This cut has affected Internet services in Egypt with a partial disruption of 70 percent of the network nationwide," the Egyptian ministry said in a statement.
Speaking to Reuters, Rajesh Chharia, president of the Internet Service Providers' Association of India, said: "There has been a 50 to 60 percent cut in bandwidth."
Though Internet Service Providers in the affected regions are trying to counter the problem by rerouting to other cables, experts estimate a further week of congestion and limited connectivity until the cables are repaired and normal service is resumed.
Businesses in Egypt, including the Central Bank, have voiced disappointment in the way Internet traffic is routed through a limited number of underwater cables.
Though no official explanation for the disruption has been given, reports suggest that a ship's anchor near the port of Alexandria in Egypt could be the reason for mass disruption and potential repercussions to many businesses.
