NCC Announces Restoration Of Voice, Data Services Affected By Undersea Cable Cuts

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) declared today that voice and data services, previously disrupted due to undersea cable cuts, have been restored.

According to Reuben Muoka, Director of Public Affairs at NCC, services have now resumed to approximately 90% of their peak utilization capacities.

Muoka stated, “We are pleased to announce that services have now been restored to approximately 90% of their peak utilization capacities.”

The disruption, which occurred on March 14, 2024, resulted from cuts in undersea fibre optics along the coasts of Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal. Muoka further explained that all affected operators have managed to recover capacity from submarine cables unaffected by the cuts.

In a statement, Muoka mentioned, “Mobile Network Operators have assured the commission that data and voice services would operate optimally pending full repairs of the undersea cables.”

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Last Thursday’s undersea cable cuts significantly impacted broadband Internet connectivity to Nigeria and other countries in the West African sub-region. This forced many banks, financial institutions, telecom companies, and allied firms to reduce their operations.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced plans to lead a global collaboration aimed at enhancing the protection of undersea cables.

Tijani emphasized the importance of reviewing international laws and fostering partnerships with regional and global bodies to safeguard this critical infrastructure.

“While disruptive, submarine cable cuts are proving to be a catalyst for resilience and growth in our digital economy,” remarked Minister Tijani.

Telcos such as Globacom, West Indian Ocean Cable Company, MTN, and MainOne demonstrated commendable collaboration to mitigate the impact of these cable cuts.

NCC confirmed that several African internet service providers faced outages due to submarine cable cuts, with cable operators actively engaged in efforts to restore connectivity.

The disruption caused by the undersea cable cuts compelled many banks, financial institutions, telecom companies, and allied firms to scale down their operations on Friday.

The successful restoration of voice and data services marks a significant step towards ensuring uninterrupted communication and connectivity for businesses and individuals across the region.