Key Highlights
- Sudan implemented exam-related internet shutdowns from July 7-10.
- Venezuela experienced a government-directed shutdown on August 18 due to authority revocation of SuperCable.
- Multiple countries faced cable cuts and fiber optic damage, including the Dominican Republic, Angola, and Pakistan & UAE.
- Texas had a brief service interruption caused by a stray bullet on September 26.
- A power outage in Tanzania disrupted internet for Airtel customers on July 1.
Government-Initiated Internet Shutdowns
In the third quarter of 2025, several countries experienced government-directed internet shutdowns. Sudan saw regular drops in traffic between 12:00-15:00 UTC each day from July 7 to 10, coinciding with exam-related periods. This pattern was similar to past disruptions in the country, leading researchers to believe these were exam-related shutdowns.
In Syria, a series of six additional internet disruptions occurred between July 12 and August 3 during the “Secondary Education Certificate” exams. The Syrian Ministry of Education justified these measures as part of efforts to ensure examination integrity, though such actions have been criticized by industry watchers.
Cable Cuts and Fiber Optic Damage
Fiber optic cables are vulnerable not only to natural disasters but also to human activities like construction work. On July 7 in the Dominican Republic, Claro reported a service disruption due to damage caused by road works. Both CORAAVEGA (La Vega Water And Sewerage Corporation) and the Dominican Electric Transmission Company were cited as culprits.
Angola faced significant disruptions on July 19 with Unitel Angola experiencing up to a 95% drop in traffic, while Connectis suffered complete outages.
Local NGOs disputed Unitel’s explanation that the issue was due to public works and suggested it might be related to government shutdowns given the timing of protests over fuel price increases.
In Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), submarine cable cuts near Yemeni waters on September 6 caused significant service degradation. Pakistan Telecom reported a 25-30% drop in traffic, while Etisalat experienced similar issues, with median bandwidth dropping by more than half and latency doubling.
Technical Issues and Accidents
A notable technical issue occurred on September 26 in Texas when a stray bullet damaged a fiber optic cable near Dallas, causing service interruptions for Spectrum customers. Despite the disruption lasting only two hours, traffic dropped by less than 25% compared to the previous week.
South Africa’s Telkom also faced disruptions due to major cable breaks on September 27, leading to a six-hour service outage with up to 50% traffic drop as reported. The cause was not disclosed but later confirmed to be related to cable repairs.
Power Outages and Their Impact
A power failure at Airtel Tanzania’s data center on July 1 caused significant disruptions for mobile customers, with service dropping by up to 40% as traffic fell during the multi-hour outage. The disruption highlighted the critical role of stable power supply in maintaining internet connectivity.
In the Czech Republic, a fallen power cable on July 4 led to widespread outages affecting up to 32% of internet traffic within the country. While the issue was partially resolved by mid-afternoon, full recovery took longer due to ongoing restoration efforts.
This summary provides an overview of various internet disruptions observed in Q3 2025, emphasizing both government-directed shutdowns and technical issues impacting global connectivity.
