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East Africa and parts of South Africa experienced internet disruptions Sunday May 11th, due to a major subsea fiber optic cable cut. The outage caused slow internet speeds for users across the region, with some areas experiencing complete internet blackouts.
Several internet service providers (ISPs) reported problems, including regional telecom giant Safaricom. Safaricom’s customers, both on wifi and cellular networks, took to social media to complain about the unusually slow internet.
“We are aware of an outage on one of the undersea cables that carries internet traffic in and out of the country,” Safaricom said in a statement. “We have activated backup measures to minimize service interruptions and keep you connected as we await a full repair of the cable. However, you may experience reduced internet speeds in the meantime.”
The cause of the outage was identified as faults in two critical subsea cables: the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy) and the Seacom Cable. Ben Roberts, Group Chief Technology and Innovation Officer for Liquid Telecom, confirmed the faults in a social media post.
“There is currently no subsea cable capacity between East Africa and South Africa,” Roberts said. “We have confirmed a fault on the EASSy Cable and are investigating a fault on the Seacom Cable that occurred around the same time.”
Adding to the problem, Roberts reported unrepaired cuts on two other key cables in the Red Sea, EIG and AAE1.
Internet service providers are working to restore full connectivity, but users in East Africa and parts of South Africa may experience slow internet speeds or outages until repairs are complete.
Kenyans regained full internet access on Friday, May 17th, after a four-day disruption caused by multiple undersea cable outages. The Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) and Safaricom, the country’s largest mobile phone operator, confirmed the restoration of internet services on Thursday.
The outage began on Sunday, May 12th, when multiple undersea cables were cut at the Mtunzini teleport station in South Africa. This affected critical cables serving Kenya, including the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy) and the Seacom cables. As a result, Kenyans experienced slow internet speeds for several days.
U.S. Embassy in Tanzania Closed Due to Internet Outage
The U.S. Embassy in Tanzania announced a temporary closure on May 14, 2024 due to a widespread internet outage impacting several East African nations. The closure extended through May 15th.
Disruptions began Sunday after a submarine cable critical to the region’s internet infrastructure was cut. This led to degraded network service across Tanzania, Kenya, and other countries in East and Southern Africa.
“Due to the nationwide decline in internet service, the embassy will be closed to the public,” a spokesperson for the embassy confirmed. “All consular appointments scheduled for May 14th and 15th will be postponed and rescheduled for a later date.”
The embassy emphasized that while regular operations are suspended, the consular section would remain accessible for urgent American citizen services and pre-arranged visa pickups.
The internet outage caused slow connection speeds for businesses and residents across the affected region. Telecommunication companies, like Kenya’s Safaricom, have issued advisories informing customers about the disruption.
The internet was fully restored on Thursday, May 16, 2024.
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