80 Million Users Impacted by Undersea Cable Faults, Leading to Internet Disruptions in East Africa

In the East African region, over 80 million internet users are currently grappling with slow speeds and outages due to faults in critical undersea fiber-optic cables this Sunday.

The Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy) and Seacom, essential for connectivity in the area, experienced simultaneous issues affecting regions from Kenya to South Africa. Ben Roberts, Chief Technology and Information Officer at Liquid Intelligent Technologies, revealed that the EASSy cable was compromised 45 kilometers north of Durban, South Africa. To make matters worse, other sub-sea capacities in the Red Sea also suffered cuts, exacerbating the situation.

These outages have had a profound impact not just on the digital economy but also on day-to-day communications. They underscore the region’s heavy dependence on undersea cables for local internet services and global data traffic. Despite redundancy systems in place, noticeable slowdowns have occurred, posing a particular problem for major companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, which rely on these networks for their cloud services in Africa.

Service providers, including Safaricom and Airtel, have been inundated with complaints and inquiries from frustrated users. Social media platforms have seen an uptick in expressions of frustration, exemplified by a sharp decrease in internet traffic in Tanzania, dropping to just 30% of the expected levels. This disruption has had far-reaching effects across various sectors, from emergency services and financial transactions to entertainment and personal communications, emphasizing the urgent need for stable internet connectivity.

Furthermore, these outages come on the heels of previous disruptions earlier this year. Similar incidents in March not only impacted East Africa but also southern and western parts of the continent, including the unrepaired Red Sea regions. The recurrence highlights the vulnerability of the internet infrastructure across Africa.

Efforts to repair the damaged cables are underway, with teams gearing up to start work later this week. However, geographical and technical challenges could potentially prolong the restoration process, leaving the region in a state of digital uncertainty.