Nigeria has been grappling with poor network coverage due to the disruption of submarine cables that provide internet services. MainOne, the submarine cable company, has indicated that it could take up to two weeks to repair the undersea cable cut, which has affected internet connectivity in Nigeria, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, and other West African and East African countries over the past four days.
The company has attributed the cable cut to various factors, including fishing activities, anchoring in shallow waters near the shore, natural hazards like earthquakes and landslides, and equipment failure.
However, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Director of Public Affairs, Rueben Muoka, announced on Monday that services have now been restored to approximately 90% of their peak utilization capacities. He stated, “Following the disruption on March 14, 2024, which affected data and voice services due to cuts in undersea fibre optics along the coasts of Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal, we are pleased to announce that services have now been restored to approximately 90% of their peak utilization capacities.”
Muoka further explained that affected operators have utilized recovery capacity from submarine cables unaffected by the cuts, enabling them to recover 90% of their peak utilization capacities. Mobile Network Operators have assured the commission that data and voice services will operate optimally until full repairs of the undersea cables are completed. They have activated alternative connectivities to normalize the situation.
The NCC expressed gratitude to telecom consumers for their patience and understanding during the downtime caused by the undersea fibre cuts.
Since Thursday, telecommunications subscribers and bank users have faced disruptions as the subsea cable cut in the Atlantic Ocean offshore Cote D’Ivoire paralyzed digital transactions and internet communications. Mobile network operators like MTN and some banks have attributed the network outage to the subsea cable cut in the Atlantic Ocean.
