Oh hell no… Slow internet misery caused by broken undersea cable to last 20 more days

If you’re in Southeast Asia, specifically Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Guam, or Philippines, then you’re likely getting dismal internet speeds right now. That’s because one major undersea internet cable, called the AAG, was cut on September 15.

The worst part is, you’ll be experiencing these depressing dial-up web speeds for another twenty days while cable operators from various nations scramble to repair it.

Authorities close to the matter say that it’s likely anchors from local ships dragging along the Vietnamese shoreline that caused the cable break. But that also indicates poor design of the cable. For Vietnam, this is harrowing because the country only has five internet sea cables – in contrast to the 21 that pass through Singapore.

An internet sea cable is a massive investment. The AAG cable cost $560 million and required the funding and cooperation of 19 different telecommunications partners across the region.

See: 20 things Vietnamese startups need to win

There’s not much data on the economic effects of slower internet connections, but multiple studies found that increased internet speeds have significant effects on the income and productivity of households. In other words, for the next 20 days, Southeast Asia’s going to experience a serious drop in productivity and income – and a rise in frustration and blood pressure.