Several African nations, including Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Burkina Faso, are currently facing major internet disruptions due to faults in the MainOne network, raising concerns about the continent’s digital infrastructure.
The fault, which occurred on March 14, 2024, at 7:43 GMT, was traced to an incident resulting in a cut on the submarine cable system off the coast of Cote D’Ivoire in the Atlantic Ocean. Preliminary investigations indicate seismic activity on the seabed as a probable cause.
MainOne, in collaboration with the Atlantic Cable Maintenance and Repair Agreement (ACMA), is swiftly mobilizing repair efforts. However, the process, involving vessel deployment, spare retrieval, repair work, and cable splicing by skilled technicians, may take 1-2 weeks for repairs and an additional 2-3 weeks for transit from Europe to West Africa.
This disruption has led to the outage of internet services for a majority of MainOne’s customers, impacting various sectors relying on international connectivity. Despite efforts to restore services, challenges persist due to the unavailability of fully operational alternative cable systems.
In response to the situation, MainOne has declared a Force Majeure event, suspending contractual obligations during the disruption. However, the company is committed to providing restoration services and completing repairs promptly.
Regarding redundancy measures, MainOne emphasizes its proactive approach, citing restoration agreements with other operators and active participation in initiatives such as the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC). These efforts aim to minimize submarine cable damage and ensure the integrity of vital communication channels.
MTN Nigeria appears to be heavily impacted by the network disruptions, based on their tweet on X, customer care support responses, a statement on their official website, and user feedback.
Airtel on the other hand seems to experience more stability, with fewer reported issues. Glo and 9mobile users also encounter downtime, although this may vary depending on location and is not necessarily a MainOne-related problem.
As MainOne continues its restoration efforts and mobilizes resources for repair, stakeholders remain hopeful for the swift resolution of the issue and the restoration of seamless internet connectivity across affected regions.
