Several African Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are facing service outages due to cuts in submarine cables, according to confirmation from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The disruptions have affected connectivity for users across multiple countries, sparking frustration among subscribers.
The impacted cables include the West African Cable System (WACS), African Coast to Europe (ACE), SAT3, and MainOne. Incidents in Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal led to downtime, with subsequent disruptions extending to Portugal. Additionally, other undersea cables like Seacom, Europe India Gateway, and Asia-Africa-Europe 1 experienced cuts around the Red Sea area, resulting in significant service degradation along these routes.
In a statement released by the Director of Public Affairs at the NCC, Reuben Muoka, the regulator acknowledged the challenges and assured the public that cable operators are actively engaged in repair efforts. The NCC emphasized the importance of keeping corporations and consumers informed about the situation.
MTN Nigeria, a leading telecommunications provider, acknowledged the outage and urged patience among its subscribers. The company assured that efforts are underway to resolve the issue and restore services promptly.
This connectivity crisis comes on the heels of a similar incident a few weeks prior, where major operators like MTN, Airtel, and 9mobile faced widespread network connection issues. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), attributed the previous connectivity problems to significant fibre cuts by road contractors working for the Federal Government.
“There have been significant fibre cuts across the country, and this has impacted connectivity today, but efforts are being made by affected telecom operators to rectify this situation,” Adebayo stated.
The NCC and telecommunications operators are working diligently to address the challenges and restore full connectivity to affected regions.
