Internet Outage: National Communications Authority Says Undersea Cables To Be Restored By May 9

• The National Communications Authority expects the repair of damaged cables that caused the internet outage to be completed in May
• The authority said it had liaised with the four Submarine Cable Service Providers to monitor the repairs
• The National Communications Authority noted that the timelines it has provided are tentative

The National Communications Authority expects the repair of damaged cables that disrupted internet connectivity to be completed by May 9, 2024.

The authority said it has liaised with the four Submarine Cable Service Providers to monitor the progress of the repair works.

These providers are SAT-3, ACE, WACS, and MainOne.

According to Citi News, the providers reported that two vessels would be involved in the repair works.

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One repair vessel, which set sail from South Africa on March 19, 2024, was expected to reach the vicinity of the fault on March 29, 2024, for repair works to commence.

This vessel expects repair works to be completed by the second week of April.

Other cable service providers have engaged a vessel from London, expected to complete repair works by May 9, 2024.

The National Communications Authority added a caveat that these dates are just projections.

When did the internet outage occur?

Reports indicate that damage to undersea cables caused the widespread disruption to internet services in Ghana and other parts of Africa on March 14, 2024.

The disruption extended to South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Cameroon, and Benin.

In Ghana, citizens could not access essential internet services and social media.

Bank transfers and mobile money transactions were also reported to be affected.

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Elon Musk's Starlink set to get authorisation for use in Ghana

YEN.com.gh reported that the government said Elon Musk's satellite internet firm Starlink will soon get an operational license.

Appearing in Parliament, Minister for Communications and Digitalisation Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said the National Communications Authority previously lacked a licensing framework for satellite operators like Starlink.

Before this, the National Communications Authority, in December 2023, warned against the use and sale of Starlink internet services in Ghana, declaring its operations illegal.

Some Ghanaians had already paid the fees to pre-order the internet service on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Source: YEN.com.gh