Ah, technology
One of the wonders of the Internet is the plethora of alternative routes that messages can take to get from here to there. Nigeria has a problem because the whole country relies on one big undersea cable routed through Benin. When that cable is disrupted, lots of things don't work.This is the report from ThisDay.
Damage to Sat3 Cable Cripples Banks, Internet ServicesThe damage to the mainstay of Nigeria's terrestrial internet service provision, SAT3, has disrupted businesses in the private and public sectors across the country.
The unavailability of internet services disrupted banking and telecoms services yesterday as most banks could not meet their obligations to their customers.
Telecoms operators as well were not left out as their operations were also impacted negatively.
The SAT-3 cable facility is a key communication infrastructure that links Nigeria with the rest of the world...
Most of the affected businesses offered either skeletal or no services at all, with many of them scrambling to look for alternative internet support for their operations.
In Abuja, activities at ministries, the National Assembly, banks and private media houses practically came to a halt as difficulties were encountered in internet connectivity...
[Corporate Services Executive, Mr. Wale Goodluck] said while the submarine cables were owned and maintained by a third party, MTN had ensured that all available resources were mobilised to ensure that a solution was found.
He estimated that "based on available information from our service provider, the repair work may take up to 10 days"...
See Fibre for Africa
"To give it its full name, SAT3/WASC/SAFE Consortium is an international fibre that goes from Portugal to South Africa and out across the Indian Ocean to Asia. The cable system is divided into two sub-systems, SAT3/WASC in the Atlantic Ocean and SAFE in the Indian Ocean. The combined length of the SAT3/WASC/SAFE system segments measures 28 800km. It has 36 members who put up US$600-million to build and operate it for the life of the cable over the next 25 years..."
Labels: Nigeria, technology
posted by Ken Wedding @ 8:09 AM
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With Cable, Laying a Basis for Growth in Africa
"The opening of a fiber optic cable providing broadband Internet service to millions of people in Southern and Eastern Africa is part of an ambitious plan to expand Web access and help spur the continent’s economy and technology industry.
"The cable, built by Seacom, a consortium 75 percent controlled by African investors, is the first of about 10 new undersea connections expected to serve Africa before the middle of next year...
"Until now, Africa had only one submarine fiber optic cable: the less efficient SAT-3 in Western Africa...
"In West Africa next year, the Glo-1 Cable will link Nigeria and Ghana to Europe, and the Main One cable will link Nigeria and Ghana to Portugal.
"However, it could still be several years before access to less expensive broadband connections becomes widely available to individual consumers..."
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