The National Communications Authority (NCA) has attributed disruptions in internet services in the country to issues relating to submarine cables that connect Europe to Africa.
Mobile telecommunications and internet data consumers suffered a blackout on Thursday, prompting Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to issue statements about challenges with service provision.
MTN, Vodafone, and other providers have been affected, with many users venting their anger on social media.
Consequently, the regulator has provided an update on the situation and efforts to restore services.
In a statement on Thursday, March 14, NCA said it “regrettably informs the general public that multiple undersea cable disruptions have affected mobile and fixed data services nationwide.”
“The disruptions affecting multiple undersea cables responsible for carrying international traffic have occurred in Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire, with some disruptions in Portugal. This has led to a significant degradation of data services across the country.”
The NCA says the MNOs are “working around the clock to restore full services.”
The regulator says its officers are monitoring the situation and will update the public accordingly.
Currently, Ghana has five submarine cable providers: SAT-3, MainOne, WASC, Glo and ACE.
The first submarine fibre cable was landed in Ghana by the SAT-3 consortium, of which the Government of Ghana, through Ghana Telecom, was a member.
The Director-General of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Mr. Joe Anokye, announced in December 2023 that efforts were underway to have a sixth, the 2Africa Submarine Cable.
This new submarine cable comes with a capacity of a whopping 180 terabytes per second, which is 30 times more than the existing aggregate capacity of 5.9 terabytes from the five cable landing stations.
More about the 2Africa Submarine Cable?
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, is partnering with established carriers such as the MTN Group, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group Plc, Orange SA, China Mobile International Limited, Saudi Telecom Group, and WIOCC, with Nokia-owned cable systems provider Alcatel Submarine Networks contracted to lay the cable network.
Even though the cost is not public, Bloomberg estimates the project to be worth US$ 1 billion.
The cable outlay will cover the entire circumference of the African continent and deliver new technology, allowing the deployment of up to 16 fibre pairs instead of the eight fibre pairs supported by older technologies. When completed, it is expected to give Africa an economic boost in excess of US$ 20 billion between the first two to three years of operation.