Egypt asks to stop film, MP3 downloads during Internet outage

0 Comments | AFP, January, 2008

CAIRO (AFP) — Egypt's telecommunications ministry appealed Thursday for Internet users to stop downloading movies and MP3s so as to give priority to businesses after damage to an undersea cable forced all traffic onto backup systems.

The appeal came after two submarine cables in the Mediterranean were damaged for an unknown reason, causing disruption to Internet services in the Middle East and south Asia.

"Two of our cables are affected; everyone will go onto a third cable," ministry spokesman Mohammed Taymur told AFP. "But that will not be enough bandwidth. The cable will be overloaded and no one will be able to get access" unless people honour the ministry request.

"People should know how to use the Internet because people who download music and films are...