Buffering… How Iran War Could Put India’s Internet Connectivity At Risk

By Surabhi Gupta

New Delhi: Rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are raising fresh concerns, this time about the undersea fibre-optic cables that carry the majority of the world’s Internet traffic. Cybersecurity experts warn that any escalation in the region could damage these submarine cables, potentially slowing Internet connectivity and disrupting global financial systems.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints, sits between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. While it is widely known as a vital route for oil shipments, fewer people realise that the seabed beneath it hosts a dense network of submarine communication cables connecting Asia, West Asia and Europe.

Global telecom mapping by the telecom market research and consulting firm TeleGeography shows several major cable systems linking India to Europe, including SEA-ME-WE 4, I-ME-WE, and FALCON, which pass through the Persian Gulf region close to the Strait of Hormuz.

Large technology firms and telecom operators are investing in new subsea cable networks to strengthen global connectivity. During a visit to New Delhi, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the India-America Connect, aimed at expanding cable links between India and global digital networks.

Research by the Observer Research Foundation indicates that approximately a third of India’s westbound Internet traffic travels through these cables. This makes the Gulf a critical digital corridor for India’s connectivity with Europe and beyond.

Redundancy Exists, But Disruption Will Hurt

Rajesh Pant, Chairman at Cyber Security Association of India and former National Cybersecurity Coordinator, said while the global Internet architecture has built-in redundancies, any damage to cables in a conflict scenario could still affect connectivity.

"Cables has redundancy. If it's cut from one end, the signal get lost so at the other. So there will definitely be an effect. If multiple cables fail, remaining routes become overloaded, increasing latency, slowing speeds and raising the risk of service disruption, as data is rerouted over longer distances,” Pant told ETV Bharat.

"But it depends, as it won't happen immediately. The whole world's Internet servers are kept in reserve. We too have ours. So it won't affect for at least a week. We also have cables coming from the Atlantic Ocean.”

Experts say such redundancy allows Internet traffic to be rerouted temporarily through alternate cable routes. However, prolonged disruption in a critical corridor could eventually slow international data transmission.

Threat To India's Digital Economy

Anuj Agarwal, Chairman, Centre for Research on Cyber Crime and Cyber Law, warned that the situation could deteriorate if broader telecom or power infrastructure becomes a target. “So far, connectivity is not affected, but if the cables are cut and power and telecom infrastructure attacked, it may affect adversely,” he said.

According to telecom experts, India’s international Internet traffic primarily exits through two gateways, Mumbai on the west coast, and Chennai on the east. Traffic routed via Mumbai largely depends on cable systems crossing the Arabian Sea and the Gulf region before reaching Europe.

Undersea Cables, Internet's Invisible Backbone

Cybersecurity expert Amit Dubey said the global Internet relies far more on submarine cables than most people realise. “Most people think satellites power the Internet, but the reality is that over 99 per cent of global data travels through undersea fibre-optic cables. These cables are the invisible backbone of the digital economy, carrying everything from emails and cloud traffic to financial transactions,” Dubey told ETV Bharat.

He noted that the waters around the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz have become one of the world’s most critical digital highways. “The waters around the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz are not just energy corridors, but also digital highways. A dense cluster of submarine cables linking Asia, the Gulf, and Europe passes through these narrow maritime chokepoints.”

“Any disruption here can increase latency, slow services, and impact global connectivity,” Dubey warned, adding that military activity in the region increases the risk of accidental or deliberate damage to undersea cables.

“In a conflict scenario, these cables become extremely vulnerable. Naval mines, ship anchors, underwater sabotage, or even accidental damage during military operations, can sever cables. Repairing them in a war zone is very difficult.”

If a major cable route is disrupted, he added, the impact would go far beyond slower Internet speeds. “Global financial networks, cloud infrastructure, and banking systems like SWIFT depend on these data routes. So disruptions can ripple through international trade and finance.”

Dubey described this emerging threat as a new type of geopolitical confrontation. “What we are witnessing is the emergence of a new battlefield, the ‘seabed infrastructure war’. Just like pipelines or energy routes, submarine cables are now strategic assets, and conflicts increasingly target the digital arteries of the global economy.”

Digital Infrastructure A Strategic Asset

Artificial Intelligence law expert Saakshar Duggal said India could face noticeable digital disruptions if the conflict escalates. “Disruptions could also affect financial messaging systems like SWIFT, CHIPS and CLS, which facilitate cross-border banking and foreign exchange settlements.

AI governance and cyber law expert Ajay Sharma said control over digital infrastructure has become a key element of geopolitical power in the modern era. Noting that undersea cables act as the arteries of global data flows, he said, “Control over digital infrastructure in the 21st century is as strategic as control over sea lanes or energy routes.”

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