Since last week, Africa has been facing unprecedented internet outages. A report from his Netblocks, an internet observatory, revealed that the cause of this interruption was damage to multiple undersea cables. This damage has caused failures in critical submarine optical fiber networks, particularly WACS, MainOne, SAT3, and ACE, leading to a significant downturn in the telecommunications sector. Affected countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Liberia, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, and Togo. This prolonged disruption complicates a series of mobile network and internet outages over the past year. These disruptions mark a critical point in the continent’s digital infrastructure crisis. The economic impact of this internet disruption is significant. Businesses in a variety of sectors, from finance to manufacturing to e-commerce, rely on Internet connectivity to conduct business, communicate with clients and customers, and facilitate transactions. In 2019, many African countries suffered multiple internet shutdowns, costing Africa $5.29 billion. Continued disruptions to internet and mobile networks will impact productivity and revenue, compounding the operational challenges of already challenging economic conditions.
ventures africa
