Phone and Internet service were disrupted in large areas of Asia on Wednesday due to earthquakes that damaged undersea cables that carry international communications, AP reports.

Affected nations include Taiwan, China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, and South Korea. In Beijing, Internet access was reduced. Phone and data calls are being re-routed. Cable repair will take weeks since undersea cables must be pulled up and repaired aboard ships.

The region has historical and recent experience recovering from natural disasters. A 7.6-magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan in September 1999 killed more than 2,300 people. On Dec. 26, 2004, a quake and tsunami killed 230,000 in nine countries.

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