Moored ship on Bosphorus caused internet breakdown concerns

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

A tanker has been anchored right below the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, where a substantial amount of fiber-optic cables pass under, causing fears of an internet network breakdown.

The captain of the tanker, the YM Miranda, had to anchor the ship after it began to drift due to a breakdown while passing through the Bosphorus Strait.

“There are a lot of cables under the water there,” Coast Security General Director Salih Orakçı said.
Coast security teams who have been dispatched to the scene of the incident and are examining if the cables are damaged or not.

Specialists regarding the issue are also expected to arrive at the area of interest and determine the level of risks.

Serhat Özeren, head of the Internet Improvement Board, said the cables’ ruptures would slow down the internet speed but the connection would continue through the satellite’s system of operators.

“Not only Türk Telekom, but other companies as well, have their own satellite connection. They all have backup systems. Satellite systems have already been used from time to time, in order to relieve the fiber network’s congestion,” he said, warning about a possible slowdown.
After the breakdown, sea traffic at the strait was halted for some time.