Multiple African Countries Experience Internet Outages
Damage to undersea data cables has resulted in internet disruptions in several African countries. The incident occurred off the West Coast of Africa, with recent restrictions also reported along the East Coast.
Undersea Cable Damage Impacts Internet Services
Damage to undersea data cables off the West Coast of Africa has caused severe internet disruptions in at least twelve West and Southern African countries. Connectivity services in these countries have been affected due to interruptions in several important undersea cables, as reported by Bayobab, a subsidiary of the South African network operator MTN. Bayobab did not disclose the cause of the damages but is among the largest network operators in Africa.
Disruptions to Internet Services
In countries such as Ivory Coast, Liberia, Benin, Ghana, and Burkina Faso, internet services were largely disrupted, according to data from the organization NetBlocks known for monitoring internet restrictions. Medium to light restrictions were also recorded in eight other countries, including Nigeria – the continent’s largest economy – extending to South Africa. Thousands of users were reported to be without internet access, as stated by the South African specialist portal MyBroadband.
Impact on Internet Services
All internet services, including email communications, online banking, access to social networks, and international phone calls, have been affected. The US company Microsoft reported damages to four fiber connections running along the West African coast.
Recent Restrictions in the Red Sea
The undersea cables run from Europe across the Atlantic down to the Gulf of Guinea and predominantly further to South Africa. Recently, undersea cables in the Red Sea off the East Coast of Africa were severed. Most connections between Europe and Asia pass through the area near the Horn of Africa where the Yemeni Houthi militia targets Western merchant ships.
Disruption Due to Sunken Ship
It is suspected that the anchor of the sunken ship “Rubymar,” following a Houthi attack, might have severed the cables. Currently, internet capacities for the continent are significantly impaired, according to Microsoft.
Undersea Cable Connectivity from Portugal to South Africa
The majority of global data traffic is routed through undersea fiber optic cables laid on the ocean floor. One of the longest cables connects Portugal to Cape Town in South Africa over a distance of more than 15,000 kilometers.