Full Internet Restoration in Nigeria Expected in Five Weeks, MainOne Provides Details

In a recent statement, MainOne, a key provider of internet services across Western and Southern Africa, revealed that the repair of the undersea cable cut disrupting internet connectivity in Nigeria and several parts of sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to take approximately five weeks to complete.

The company, which operates a significant portion of international traffic into West Africa, outlined the steps involved in the repair process. These include identifying and mobilizing a vessel to retrieve necessary spares, conducting repair work at the fault location, splicing the affected section of the submarine cable, and conducting inspections before lowering the cable back into position on the seabed.

MainOne also addressed speculations regarding the cause of the disruptions, refuting claims that they were caused by human or armed group activities. The company emphasized that most submarine cable faults stem from human activities such as fishing and anchoring, natural hazards like earthquakes, or equipment failure.

Furthermore, MainOne declared a force majeure, relieving itself of contractual obligations to customers during such disruptions, as it works to restore services and complete repairs as planned.

The internet outage, which impacted telecommunications companies and banks in Nigeria, was attributed to damage to international undersea cables near Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, causing downtime across West and South African countries. The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) reported cuts in major undersea cables along the West Coast route from Europe, affecting companies like WACS, ACE, SAT3, and MainOne.

MainOne assured its customers of ongoing efforts to restore services and mitigate disruptions, highlighting its commitment to promoting awareness and proactive measures to minimize submarine cable damage.