The Luzon Strait between Taiwan and the Philippines is the narrowest cable corridor in Asia. 10+ cable systems pass through a channel less than 100km wide. PLA military activity, seismic risk (2006 Hengchun earthquake severed 6 cables), and fishing anchor drag all threaten this corridor.

TeleGeography; ICPC cable route data; USGS seismic records · Tier 2 · estimated

Narrow waterway between Malaysia and Sumatra. One of the world's busiest shipping lanes (100,000+ vessel transits/year). Cables here face anchor drag risk from dense shipping traffic. Maritime piracy historically elevated in the strait.

TeleGeography; IMO shipping density data; ICPC · Tier 3 · estimated

Narrow strait (30km wide) connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. All Red Sea cables must transit this chokepoint. Active conflict zone since 2023 (Houthi attacks on shipping). 4 cables damaged in Feb-Mar 2024.

TeleGeography; Reuters; BBC Red Sea cable reporting (2024) · Tier 3 · estimated

The Red Sea is 2,250 km long and averages 280 km wide. Submarine cables run along the seabed for the entire length. Cables are concentrated along the eastern (Saudi/Yemeni) coast in shallower waters.

TeleGeography; ICPC · Tier 2 · estimated

The Isthmus of Suez is the single most concentrated submarine cable chokepoint on Earth. 12+ cable systems cross overland from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean in a corridor less than 200km wide. Telecom Egypt controls the crossing infrastructure.

TeleGeography; Telecom Egypt; ITU · Tier 2 · estimated

The Strait of Hormuz is 54 km wide at its narrowest. Cables entering the Persian Gulf must transit the strait. Fujairah (UAE) is specifically sited outside the strait to avoid this chokepoint, but cables connecting to Gulf states (Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait) must transit it.

TeleGeography; JINSA Gulf infrastructure analysis · Tier 3 · estimated