NCA Updates on the Repair to the Damage of the Submarine Cables
By GhanaWeb
May 20, 2024
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has disclosed that repairs to the recently broken undersea cables, which caused the country's total internet outage last March, have been completed.
Dr. Joe Anokye, the Director-General of the NCA, stated that work on all four damaged cables was completed between April 6 and May 8, 2024.
He made the announcement on Friday during the 2024 World Telecommunications and Information Society Day celebration in Accra.
The day was themed “Digital Innovation for Sustainable Development.”
On March 14 this year, Ghana's data services were disrupted due to underwater cable damage.
All four undersea cable landing service providers in Ghana (ACR, MainOne, SAT-3, and WACS) were disconnected from international data services, resulting in a complete internet shutdown.
Dr. Anokye said that the repair work on the broken cables was complete, and internet services were fully restored.
According to the subsea cable service providers, all four cable faults were discovered near the crossing with Le Trou Sans Fond Canyon, an underwater canyon off the coast of Abidjan.
Dr. Anokye stated that the SAT-3 cable was restored on April 6 and the ACE cable on April 17, 2024.
“The WACS cable was repaired on April 29, 2024, and the MainOne cable repairs were completed on May 8, 2024,” he added.
Dr. Anokye indicated that the Authority had begun implementing the country's satellite services policy framework to mitigate the effects of recent disruptions caused by damaged undersea cables.
This would enable the public to access innovative satellite services in addition to those available on the ground.
“This will enhance the connectivity resilience of the country, considering the recent disruption of undersea fiber optic cables on March 14, 2024,” he stressed.
Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications and Digitalization, called for collaboration among institutions like the Bank of Ghana, NCA, NITA, and the Data Protection Commission to address identified challenges and strengthen the digital environment.
