Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Hon. Ursula Owusu Ekuful has explained AT’s superior connectivity during a mass internet disruption compared to its competitors in a recent parliamentary session on Monday, March 18, 2024. The session convened to address recent internet connectivity disruptions and the steps taken to rectify the situation.
Unlike its competitors MTN and Telecel, AT network users were reported to have had effective connectivity during the mass internet disruption which took over West Africa and some parts of Centra and South Africa, leading to questions being raised over the situation.
In response to these questions, Hon. Ursula Owusu referred to the proactive measures implemented by the National Communications Authority (NCA) against internet outages in 2020. Recognizing that mobile network operators were dependent on a limited number of submarine cable providers, the NCA issued a directive urging operators to diversify their connections.
The minister attributed AT’s resilient connectivity to compliance to the NCA’s directive, such that the telecommunication network had various connection options.
“All the network operators complied, and MTN is currently connected to the ACE Cable, WAX Cable, and Main 1. Telecel is also connected to SAT 3, WAX, and ACE cable. [AT] is connected to WAX and ACE; however, they are connected to the WAX cable through the West African Ocean Company (WAOC) in Nigeria.”
“In addition to the two cables they have in the country, they are connected to a third one, which is providing services through Nigeria. So not only did [AT] comply, they went on to establish a physical connection with an external submarine cable provider that did not land in Ghana. As a result of this, at the height of the outage, AT had better service while the other service providers had degraded services,” she elaborated.
Assuring the public that efforts are underway to restore affected areas due to fiber cuts, Hon. Ursula Owusu added that reparations on the damage will be done swiftly.
“The Sub-C cable service providers have remotely identified the approximate location of the damage, and they’ve made preparations to dispatch repair vessels to the location for physical assessments and restorations.”
–
Story by: Fauzia Salim | univers.ug.edu.gh
