MTN, Telecel explanation; AirtelTigo’s boast: What telcos have said about internet outage

Internet connectivity has become a very topical issue since March 14, 2024, when it was confirmed that undersea cables that serve most West African countries had been disrupted.

Ghana’s three telecommunications outfits recorded massive drops in data service quality even as the regulators – the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Telecoms Chamber – worked to give crucial information to the public.

Per the NCA’s last update, dated March 16, 2024; it had held a meeting with the management of telecom service providers in the country (MTN, AirtelTigo and Telecel) as well as all four (4) subsea cable landing service providers (ACE, MainOne, SAT-3 and WACS).

“The subsea cable landing service providers have indicated an estimated time frame of a minimum of five (5) weeks for full-service restoration from the time the vessels are dispatched to the various locations,” their statement read in part.

But what have the telcos been saying?

March 14, 2024

Mobile Telecommunications Network(MTN) Ghana has issued an apology to its subscribers for the difficulties they encountered in accessing data services and reaching its call centre.

The telecommunications company has assured its customers that it is actively working to address the issue.

In a statement, MTN Ghana explained that the disruption in service is a result of issues with their international undersea cables.

The company’s technical teams are collaborating with international partners to swiftly resolve the problem.

“We deeply regret any inconvenience caused and are committed to keeping our subscribers informed as we work towards a resolution,” the statement from MTN Ghana emphasized.

STATEMENT: Telecel Ghana Network upgrade

March 16, 2024

Telecel Ghana has multiple sources of internet services through SAT3, WACS, ACE, and submarine fibre links to other international providers.

On the 12th of March 2024, Telecel Ghana lost internet capacity provided by WACS subsea cable and immediately switched to ACE to maintain service.

On 14th March 2024, Telecel Ghana lost internet connectivity from its remaining providers SAT3 and ACE due to a cut in their undersea cables. This resulted in the disruption of data services on Mobile and Fixed networks.

Telecel Ghana has now secured new internet capacity and is progressively adding more capacities through local and international partners, including other Telecel subsidiaries. This is in addition to local caching solutions which are enabling access to some content services such as YouTube, Facebook, Netflix etc.

Telecel Ghana sincerely appreciates the patience and understanding of its customers during this period. All customers will be refunded accordingly.

Please note that information circulating on social media platforms about the disconnection of Telecel Ghana due to debts owed is false and should be disregarded.

FACEBOOK POST: AirtelTigo

AirtelTigo at the time of filing this report were the best internet service provider as compared to the two others. In their case, the company has leveraged its reliability to boost its data services and sales.

A March 15, 2024 post on their Facebook handle read as follows: “”We are happy to stand in the gap and give you connectivity as best as we can. You are free to recommend us. *533# is your code for your daily internet and call deals.”

SARA

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