Of all the big Telco operators, MTN services seem to be the most affected by the current underwater cable cuts that has led to network disruptions across West Africa. This impact is even more pronounced as it has the highest number of subscribers to its voice and data services.
A high-ranking source informed PUNCH online that the operator is fighting hard to resolve the issue and restore normalcy to services as soon as possible. Although most analysts feel services would not be fully restored till after 5 or 6 days, no network provider has officially stated how long it will take for full service restoration to be achieved.
However presently, some subscribers are still able to use the Internet, although not fully. This shows there is ‘redundancy’ in place, which simply means the operators are rerouting elsewhere.
Reports reveal that MTN confirmed a cable cut at a depth of approximately 3,000 meters, likely caused by a geological event such as a landslide.
While a cable cut disrupted the transfer of calls and data, the fact that some users remained connected underscore the effectiveness of those redundancy measures.
Telco industry sources revealed that“Partnerships among cable companies ensure redundancy within the network, can allow for swift activation of alternative routes whenever such a serious accident occurs.
MTN had revealed that“This incident has also impacted three other subsea cable systems in the area. Repair efforts are underway, with a cable ship mobilised for joint repair operations.
“MTN is actively addressing the situation to minimise any impact on our customers. In events like this, redundancy measures play a crucial role,” it concluded.
The telco also confirmed, through a statement on its website on Saturday, that it was working with partners to repair and restore the network.
The service provider said, “MTN would like to assure you that we are working with our partners to repair without delay disruptions to network services resulting from damaged underwater digital communication cables along the West Coast of Africa.
“We are also working to quickly mitigate the impact of the damage by rerouting traffic. We have already made progress in restoring service in some affected areas and remain committed to achieving full recovery as expeditiously as possible.
“Recognising the critical importance of network reliability, we work to continuously strengthen our infrastructure to mitigate future disruptions. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and patience during this period,” it concluded.