SEA-ME-WE 3 internet cable damage affecting Myanmar?

[householder]

New Light, MPT and now Mizzima/Eleven (quoting official sources) reporting damage to the SEA-ME-WE 3 cable that is affecting internet performance in Myanmar, not that it was particularly good to start with. Allegedly it'll take a month to fix.

Out of interest, any external sites or sources to verify such matters?

[canman]

It must just be the spur to Myanmar, not hearing of any other disruptions

[householder]

It must just be the spur to Myanmar, not hearing of any other disruptions

Maybe so. I feel sorry for those on RedLink who will be paying up to $90 a month (or, for the 2 Mbps service, AT LEAST $90) that is now impeded...

Edited July 25, 2013 by householder

[SeaVisionBurma]

Out of interest, any external sites or sources to verify such matters?

Yup - Irrawaddy posted this article last night - http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/655942-burma%e2%80%99s-internet-to-experience-disruptions-for-one-month/

and this on Eleven Myanmar - Internet Speed in Myanmar Slow due to underwater cable cutting off

Some definite signs - can barely get the Myanmar Times website to load.

[householder]

Out of interest, any external sites or sources to verify such matters?

Yup - Irrawaddy posted this article last night - http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/655942-burma%e2%80%99s-internet-to-experience-disruptions-for-one-month/

and this on Eleven Myanmar - Internet Speed in Myanmar Slow due to underwater cable cutting off

Some definite signs - can barely get the Myanmar Times website to load.

MMT's site sometimes varied from slow, redirected to a US Government site or blocked on RedLink even without the outages!

[DagonKhan]

It must just be the spur to Myanmar, not hearing of any other disruptions

Maybe so. I feel sorry for those on RedLink who will be paying up to $90 a month (or, for the 2 Mbps service, AT LEAST $90) that is now impeded...

Are you on RedLink householder? I've yet to come across anyone who uses it.

[SeaVisionBurma]

My only experience with Redlink was having to use their paid wifi hotspot while spending a week in the Thamada hotel last year.

The 24 hour cafe/restaurant downstairs uses Redlink as their provider -you buy a voucher and use it (no internet in the hotel rooms which sucked)

From the first day had issues. It would work for several minutes and then die. Staff couldn't do much about it.

All emails and calls to Redlink went unanswered, and even a trip to their office under Pearl Condo was a complete waste of time.

Switched hotels after that to a cheaper place down near the Strand - with free included wifi which ALWAYS worked, anywhere in the hotel including the rooms. Result.

So my opinion of Redlink ain't good....

[phazey]

I think it should be at least bearable now that there is a transit to China, so any outage to SouthEastAsia-MiddleEast-WesternEurope-III would not be a complete one. I do remember seeing a repair plan to an outage many years ago that was so detailed it would make someone with OCD sport a semi. I also remember having a sign above my barstool at the Savoy that read: "The person sat here does not know when the Internet will be back, and cannot help you collecting your email"....I always kept my closest friends appraised of the situation, but back then, when you're known as "The Internet Bloke"....yeah. It got old quickly.

I think we had to deal with 3 cable faults....it took a month last the time, so sounds like a bad trawl....

Bonus chortle for SVB. See My Wee.

[DagonKhan]

According to today's NLM, the cable could be repaired by tomorrow. They said the previous estimate of one month was incorrect. We shall see...

[SeaVisionBurma]

According to today's NLM, the cable could be repaired by tomorrow. They said the previous estimate of one month was incorrect. We shall see...

Looks like you were right DK...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/657404-fiber-fix-brings-burma%E2%80%99s-internet-back-up-to-speed/

Nice graphic in that link. I can pretend to watch my emails travel along the little red line (I don't get out much)

[DagonKhan]

Yep, we're back in business. It's been fine this morning.

[householder]

So it's one overland fiber cable that can cause such disruption? Talk about weak links... I wonder how bad it would have been if it WAS the submarine cable.

It went from 'SEA-ME-WE 3 damaged; will take a month to repair and we have enlisted help from Singapore'

to

'It was an overland connection and we fixed it ourselves in half the time'.

Good that they found the fault and fixed it, but the initial response was a little confusing!

Edited August 1, 2013 by householder

[phazey]

So it's one overland fiber cable that can cause such disruption? Talk about weak links... I wonder how bad it would have been if it WAS the submarine cable.

It went from 'SEA-ME-WE 3 damaged; will take a month to repair and we have enlisted help from Singapore'

to

'It was an overland connection and we fixed it ourselves in half the time'.

Good that they found the fault and fixed it, but the initial response was a little confusing!

There is an overland leg up to Thillawa (I think?) International exchange - there's a power relay in between. If i can remember the name i will post, but it's still smw-3.

[phazey]

So it's one overland fiber cable that can cause such disruption? Talk about weak links... I wonder how bad it would have been if it WAS the submarine cable.

It went from 'SEA-ME-WE 3 damaged; will take a month to repair and we have enlisted help from Singapore'

to

'It was an overland connection and we fixed it ourselves in half the time'.

Good that they found the fault and fixed it, but the initial response was a little confusing!

There is an overland leg up to Thillawa (I think?) International exchange - there's a power relay in between. If i can remember the name i will post, but it's still smw-3.

[phazey]

So it's one overland fiber cable that can cause such disruption? Talk about weak links... I wonder how bad it would have been if it WAS the submarine cable.

It went from 'SEA-ME-WE 3 damaged; will take a month to repair and we have enlisted help from Singapore'

to

'It was an overland connection and we fixed it ourselves in half the time'.

Good that they found the fault and fixed it, but the initial response was a little confusing!

There is an overland leg up to Thillawa (I think?) International exchange - there's a power relay in between. If i can remember the name i will post, but it's still smw-3.

Pyapon:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F8MQ-8DbBQc/Sbs0O-oVT7I/AAAAAAAAA20/-rUO0FFl3Yw/s400/upload-smw302.jpg

[onthemoon]

So it's one overland fiber cable that can cause such disruption? Talk about weak links... I wonder how bad it would have been if it WAS the submarine cable.

It went from 'SEA-ME-WE 3 damaged; will take a month to repair and we have enlisted help from Singapore'

to

'It was an overland connection and we fixed it ourselves in half the time'.

Good that they found the fault and fixed it, but the initial response was a little confusing!

I little bit off-topic, but yes, one cable can cause severe disruption. I was in Taiwan (admittedly an island, so no overland cables) when the only undersea cable broke around the year 2000 (don't remember exactly). We were without internet for three days!

While this was annoying for the company, it was not a very issue as every company still had a fax machine at the time. However, I was studying by internet at the time and a term-end submission was due. I finally connected by modem to a phone number in Thailand (I still had my Thai dial-up account with mozart at the time) and transmitted really really slowly. At least, I still had a modem at the time.

[householder]

Turns out the fix was only temporary, the country's internet connectivity continues to suck and it won't change any time soon:

http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/41320

People complaining today that it continues to be slow.

The high-end Traders Hotel in Rangoon, which has a reputation locally for its fast Internet speed and seemingly unbreakable WiFi, maintained its connectivity on Monday morning, albeit slightly slowed, but some other businesses in the city were not so lucky.

This bit - anyone able to fill in on the gaps that will otherwise lead to speculation?

The hotel’s manager of information and technology declined to comment on why the hotel’s Internet connection was so robust compared to other nearby businesses.

[SeaVisionBurma]

This bit - anyone able to fill in on the gaps that will otherwise lead to speculation?

The hotel’s manager of information and technology declined to comment on why the hotel’s Internet connection was so robust compared to other nearby businesses.

Not sure - phazey might be able to shed some light on this. m00?

[phazey]

This bit - anyone able to fill in on the gaps that will otherwise lead to speculation?

The hotel’s manager of information and technology declined to comment on why the hotel’s Internet connection was so robust compared to other nearby businesses.

Not sure - phazey might be able to shed some light on this. m00?

Dunno, But having previously installed a dedicated VSAT link on the roof of the Traders for an event years ago - there's certainly space up there for a dedicated link, perhaps back to Nay Pyi Daw and then overland to China....But that's just a guess....

[DagonKhan]

Householder,

All you need to know is that ALL the problems concerning the internet are because of phazey!

Even though he's no longer in that job, we routinely throw peanuts at the chair he used to sit in at the Savoy to relieve our frustration!

I'm joking of course, but do be aware that this is at least the third time if not more that this SEA=ME-WE cable has broken. I'm sure it won't be the last. Relying on the internet here is not a good thing, although you can normally get emails through when it does all collapse.

[phazey]

I quit the internet business to become a peanut exporter. Business is good.