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[Update @ 5:08pm, September 18] Telekom Malaysia has shared more details on the restoration works and its expected time frame for completion. It’s going to be a long wait. More below.

If you have been experiencing exceptionally slow Internet speeds, even when connected to Unifi, you’re not alone. A fault on the Asia America Gateway (AAG) submarine cable system is causing data degradation, affecting Internet users in the Southeast Asian region accessing sites based in the US.

The faulty AAG cable also means that virtually all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Malaysia will face a similar issue – though Telekom Malaysia (TM) is the only ISP to have confirmed the issue. Users on Streamyx and Unifi have and will continue to experience occasional packet loss and high pings when accessing US-based servers, resulting in exceptionally slow loading times for sites like Facebook, Twitter and other sites with US-based servers. Even messaging apps like WhatsApp will see some slowdown in sending and receiving messages.

#TMAlerts 1/2 we are experiencing some degradation of data traffic to and from the US due to a fault on the AAG submarine cable system. — TMConnects (@TMConnects) September 17, 2014

#TMAlerts 2/2 repairs are underway to repair a fault on the AAG submarine cable system. We will share updates as they become available. — TMConnects (@TMConnects) September 17, 2014

In its update on the matter, TM has revealed that repairs are underway to fix the cable, though there is no estimated time of completion; this is a 20,000km cable we’re talking about. The fault appears to be located in the cable connecting Vung Tau (a coastal city in southern Vietnam) and Hong Kong, where the incident was recorded to take place at about 11:41pm on Monday (September 15). Worse still is the fact that repairs will take longer than usual, as Hong Kong is currently facing Typhoon Kalmaegi.

As we mentioned earlier, this issue is a widespread one, and is not just limited to Unifi or Streamyx users. There is nothing much we can do currently, but to be patient until the cable is fully restored.

[Update @ 2:11pm, September 18] Telekom Malaysia is currently actively re-routing traffic for its users to alleviate part of the issue, but the company warns that users will still experience slow Internet speeds, especially at peak hours.

@Gguzmen there is a breakdown along the submarine cable connecting Malaysia to the US. We’re rerouting traffic but peak hours may be slow — Telekom Malaysia (@TMCorp) September 18, 2014

[Update @ 5:08pm, September 18] Telekom Malaysia has released a statement regarding the fault in the AAG submarine cable. Immediately after the detection of the fault – said to occur sometime on 16 September – TM has taken measures to divert Internet traffic to alternative routes, as well as optimising its networks to reduce congestion.

Unfortunately, those wishing for a speedy resolution on the matter will be disappointed to know that restoration works on the AAG submarine cable is only expected to start on Wednesday, 1 October 2014, and may only be fully completed on Monday, 6 October. That means Internet users in Malaysia who are currently affected will continue to face sluggish Internet connections and high latency, which may affect gamers playing on servers located in the US, North Asia and Europe. In addition, those using virtual private networks (VPN) hosted in the US, North Asia and Europe will also face some service degradation.

The local telecommunications giant will continue to monitor the issue, and will provide updates via its social media channels. Be sure to follow @TMConnects and @TMCorp for the latest updates on the matter.

Join the discussion in the LYN forum thread here.

Further reading: Asia America Gateway, AAG (Wikipedia)