UAE internet outage: Could Starlink be a backup?

Dubai: The UAE, like much of the world, relies heavily on undersea fiber-optic cables, which carry over 99 per cent of international internet traffic. Recent disruptions caused by undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea slowed internet access across the Middle East and parts of Asia, including India and Pakistan.

Users in the UAE reported intermittent connectivity and slower speeds over the weekend, though services largely returned to normal by Sunday.

While these issues were temporary, they highlight the vulnerability of the global internet to physical cable disruptions and raise the question - could satellite internet services like Starlink provide a reliable backup?

The recent slowdown was linked to failures affecting the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. These undersea cables are critical for connecting Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

While the exact cause of the cable cuts is still unclear, undersea cables can be accidentally damaged by ship anchors or become targets of deliberate attacks, raising concerns across the region.

Microsoft also noted that parts of the Middle East “may experience increased latency due to undersea fiber cuts in the Red Sea,” while traffic not routed through the region remained unaffected.

The UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) is exploring new regulations to enable broadband satellite services, including Starlink. Public consultations launched in July 2025 aim to allow licensed providers to offer satellite internet to UAE residents.

Starlink, developed by Space X is already operational in several Middle East countries, including Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, and Yemen providing connectivity in remote and desert areas. Saudi Arabia recently approved Starlink for aviation and maritime use to expand digital infrastructure.

Network diversity has long been a standard practice for UAE internet service providers, combining fiber and satellite connections to ensure uninterrupted service.

Services like Starlink offer significant advantages over traditional satellite connectivity, including latency that is on average ten times lower, according to Jimmy Grewal, managing director of UAE-based marine electronics company - ELCOME.

“Starlink, along with systems like SES’s O3b M-POWER and Amazon’s Project Kuiper in the future, could help deliver better internet quality during fiber outages,” Grewal told Gulf News.

“The challenge is that none of these satellite services currently have the capacity to fully replace damaged undersea cables in the UAE. However, they can serve as a valuable supplement, helping to maintain connectivity and ease pressure during incidents like the one we are currently seeing.”

Satellite internet can reach areas where fiber cannot. During undersea cable disruptions, services like Starlink could act as a backup, keeping users online. Real-world examples include:

Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell (D2C) technology further expands its potential. It allows mobile phones to connect directly to satellites without Wi-Fi or additional hardware, supporting texting, location sharing, and eventually voice and data services. Its low-Earth orbit satellites, operating at roughly 350 km (217 miles), help maintain connectivity even when ground infrastructure is compromised.

Satellite services do have vulnerabilities. In July 2025, Starlink experienced a global outage lasting two and a half hours, affecting thousands of users.

Repairing undersea cables requires specialized ships, which can take days or weeks to locate and fix damage. Multiple failures along the same corridor complicate rerouting and can increase latency until full restoration.

The Red Sea corridor remains one of the world’s most fragile internet bottlenecks, vulnerable to accidental damage from shipping activity as well as geopolitical risks.

This article was published September 8, 2025 and has been updated since.