Undersea Cable Disruptions Interrupt Internet Services in Ghana

On March 14, 2024, Ghana’s telecommunications networks, notably MTN and Vodafone, experienced significant disruptions in data services due to issues with undersea cables.

This interruption had far-reaching effects, particularly on organizations heavily reliant on internet connectivity for their operations.

Naval Captain Kamal-Deen Ali (RTD), the Executive Director of the Center for Maritime Law and Security Africa, drew attention to the crucial role of submarine cables in global connectivity. These cables serve as the backbone for transmitting data worldwide, making them indispensable for communication networks.

While the exact cause of the outage remains unclear, Cpt. Kamal-Deen Ali (RTD) pointed up various factors that could disrupt submarine cables, including accidents involving shipping vessels, interference by fishing trawlers, natural undersea occurrences like geological events, oil and gas activities, and deliberate acts of terrorism.

Emmanuel Mends-Buah, a Cybersecurity Officer at Access Bank Ghana, noted that while banking hall operations remained intact, services relying on internet connectivity, such as email communication and mobile banking, encountered challenges.

Gideon Adokoh, a Ghanaian Uber driver, said he was frustrated over the inability to receive ride requests due to the data disruption. This hindered his ability to meet targets and qualify for bonuses, and also made map navigation difficult, forcing him to suspend operations prematurely.

Furthermore, online media personnel were not happy about the detrimental impact of the interruption on their work, emphasizing their critical dependence on internet connectivity. They voiced concerns about unproductive days, potential financial losses, and the risk of business collapse. As private entities operating as sole proprietorships, they emphasized the personal toll of such disruptions on individual owners, affecting research, content posting, and meeting deadlines.