Google intervenes to alleviate West Africa's internet outages

Amidst widespread internet outages plaguing West Africa due to damage to critical submarine cables, Google steps in to offer a solution.

The region is grappling with disruptions caused by faults in key cables such as WACS, MainOne, SAT3, and ACE systems, primarily off the coast of Cote d’Ivoire.

These cables serve as the backbone of subsea connectivity

Read full articlein West Africa, with the 2Africa project yet to cover many countries.

Google's Equiano cable emerges as a beacon of hope, providing an alternative route for internet traffic along the West African coast. With strategic points of presence in Nigeria and South Africa, Equiano presents a viable option to reroute traffic and mitigate the impact of the cable faults.

Notably, a prominent South African carrier promptly sought substantial capacity on the Equiano cable in the aftermath of the incident, indicating a growing reliance on this alternative infrastructure.

Seacom, operators of the WACS system, also reportedly turn to the Equiano cable for assistance. Launched in March of the previous year, Equiano gained significance as a reliable conduit for internet traffic, particularly during critical situations like ongoing outages.

Meanwhile, Cote d’Ivoire emerges as the worst-hit country, amplifying the urgency for swift interventions to restore connectivity in the region. As efforts to restore services intensify, attention turns to the market dynamics of sourcing extra capacity.

Industry experts predict potential price upticks by carriers facing limited supply, while others with surplus capacity, like Chinese carriers, may opt to maintain stable prices and offload excess capacity.

Despite the challenges posed by the outages, redundancy routes and alternative cables play pivotal roles in mitigating the impact and restoring internet services across West Africa.