SOUTH Africa and Ghana faced a significant disruption in internet connectivity on Thursday, as multiple subsea cable failures between South Africa, Ghana, and Europe left countless users struggling with slow speeds and inaccessible websites. Major network providers such as Vodacom were notably affected, underscoring vulnerabilities in the global internet infrastructure and the challenges of maintaining uninterrupted digital services.
The Ghana National Communications Authority (NCA) issued a regrettable statement, informing the public of multiple undersea cable disruptions impacting Mobile and Fixed Data services nationwide. ‘The disruptions, occurring in Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire, and with some disruptions in Portugal, led to a substantial degradation of data services across both countries,’ the NCA said.
Despite the setbacks, the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have implemented redundancies on other cables and are tirelessly working to restore full services in South Africa and Ghana. Affected customers have been informed of the disruptions via various communication channels. The NCA reassured the public that it is closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates accordingly.
The sudden spike in internet outage reports began around midday, affecting platforms including Microsoft, Vodacom, MTN, and WhatsApp in both South Africa and Ghana. Vodacom attributed the outages to failures in several subsea cables connecting South Africa with Europe, notably impacting the West African Cable System. Additional reports from Seacom pointed to earlier cable breaks in the Red Sea, indicating a broader pattern of vulnerabilities in critical infrastructures. The origins of the new cable breaks, however, remain uncertain.
The fallout from the outage was immediate, impacting businesses and individuals alike in their digital communication and operations in both South Africa and Ghana. Network monitoring sites recorded a notable surge in outage reports, affecting both local and international services. Companies responded swiftly to the crisis, with Cloudflare rerouting traffic for Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Accra, while Microsoft Azure issued warnings about potential service degradation. Efforts are underway to restore connectivity, with network providers working diligently to reroute traffic and address the underlying issues.
This incident underscores the critical importance of subsea cables in global internet connectivity and the ripple effects their failures can cause. As South Africa, Ghana, and other affected regions strive to recover, it prompts a broader discussion about the resilience of our digital infrastructure and the need for enhanced protective measures against physical and cybersecurity threats. With the digital economy heavily reliant on these undersea networks, ensuring their security and reliability has never been more crucial.