Damaged undersea fibre optic affect internet service in Africa

Breaks in several major undersea cables have led to connectivity issues.

The countries most affected by the damage are Ivory Coast, Liberia, Benin, Ghana, and Burkina Faso.

Additionally, less severe outages are being experienced in Cameroon, Gabon, Namibia, and Niger, with Nigeria and South Africa also experiencing some disruptions.

In Ghana, the National Communications Authority (NCA) issued a press statement explaining that multiple undersea cable disruptions have impacted Mobile and Fixed Data services nationwide.

The disruptions, affecting cables responsible for carrying international traffic, have occurred in Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, and Portugal. Consequently, there has been a significant degradation of data services across Ghana.

The NCA emphasized that Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are diligently working to restore full services and have informed affected customers through various channels.

Additionally, the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications stated on Thursday, March 14, 2024, that further investigations are underway to resolve the current problems and restore service to customers.

Some fibre optic cables are completely down, while others are operating at limited capacity.