MAJOR INTERNET DISRUPTION IN W.AFRICA
Jul 31st, 2009 by admin
Damage to an undersea cable has caused major disruptions to internet access across West Africa. Benin, Togo, Niger and Nigeria are the hardest-hit countries. The disruption is thought to have been caused by damage to the SAT-3 cable which runs between Portugal and Spain to South Africa via West Africa. The 15,000 kilometre long SAT-3 is currently the only fibre-optic cable serving West Africa, according to Ladi Okuneye, chief marketing officer of Nigerian operator Suburban Telecom. He said companies are now using alternatives, such as satellite links, to maintain connections to the rest of the world. The SAT-3 operators said they are in the process of rectifying the fault.
