West Asia War Threatens Internet: India Asks Telcos to Plan Subsea Cable Backups

• Centre directs telecom companies to assess risks to undersea data infrastructure amid escalating West Asia tensions.
• DoT held discussions with stakeholders to evaluate potential damage to subsea cables, especially near the Strait of Hormuz.
• Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for nearly a third of India’s westbound data traffic to the US and Europe.
• Disruptions could impact financial transactions, IT services, e-commerce, and India's data center expansion plans.
• Repair ships have halted operations due to security risks, affecting key cable systems and new projects.