Africa

Marine vessels dispatched to repair undersea cable breaks

Workers haul part of a fibre optic cable onto the shore at the Kenyan port town of Mombasa. File Photo: The Conversation

By Amina Wako | Friday, March 22, 2024

The cable breaks, affecting critical connections like the West Africa Cable System (WACS), Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), MainOne, and SAT-3 cables, occurred on March 14, 2024.

Several African countries have experienced widespread internet outages due to recent undersea cable breaks, prompting the dispatch of marine vessels for repair operations.

Among them is Orange's Marine's Léon Thévenin ship, which embarked on its journey from South Africa to the affected area on Tuesday evening.

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Loaded with vital fibre optic cable supplies, the Thévenin departed from Cape Town harbour on March 19, 2024, en route to the coastal waters of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

Equipped to handle repairs in waters ranging from shallow depths of 10 metres to a remarkable 7 kilometres deep, the vessel carries essential tools and a remotely operated vehicle necessary for detecting, cutting, recovering, jointing, and testing undersea fibre cables.

Meanwhile, the second vessel, Global Marine’s CS Sovereign, expected to assist in the repair efforts, remained moored in Portland, England, as of March 20, 2024. The screenshot from MarineTraffic displays the rough location and the anticipated route of the Thévenin ship towards the site of the cable breaks.

The cable breaks, affecting critical connections like the West Africa Cable System (WACS), Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), MainOne, and SAT-3 cables, occurred on March 14, 2024.

While the exact cause remains under investigation, preliminary analysis by MainOne suggests seismic activity as a possible factor.

"We will obtain more data when we retrieve the cable during the repair exercise," MainOne stated, implying the need for further examination. The absence of detected earthquakes in the vicinity does not rule out other seabed activity.

Anticipated repair times vary, with estimates ranging from three to five weeks. MainOne, along with Ghana's communications regulator and Telkom, expects a prolonged repair period.

While Telkom anticipates approximately three weeks for repairs, it's contingent upon weather conditions and the extent of damage across all cables.

Historically, repair durations have been notable, with previous instances taking roughly four weeks, including travel time, for similar repair operations.

However, the current situation presents a greater challenge, with the distance between Cape Town and Abidjan significantly longer than in past repair missions.

As the vessels set sail and repair efforts commence, affected nations await the restoration of vital internet connectivity, anticipated around early to mid-April 2024.

Until then, the region braces for potential disruptions, emphasising the critical role of undersea cables in today's interconnected world.