Individuals browsing the internet on their smartphones. Image File
In Summary:
- The Communication Authority of Kenya announces prolonged internet downtimes across the country due to a deep-sea fiber cut.
- Despite restoration efforts, intermittent and slow internet speeds are expected to persist for several days.
The Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) has issued a statement indicating that the nation should brace for extended internet disruptions following a deep-sea fiber cut.
According to the press release distributed to various news outlets on Monday, the incident occurred at the Mtunzini Teleport Station, leading to widespread internet service disruptions.
The impact of the cut extends to various submarine cables serving Kenya, including Seacom and the East African Submarine System (Eassy).
While efforts to restore connectivity are underway, CAK has cautioned that internet users should anticipate intermittent service and slower speeds in the coming days.
“We wish to inform individual and corporate consumers that the recovery process has since. commenced but Internet intermittency and slow speeds may remain in the coming few days before services are fully restored,” CAK stated.
CAK clarified that the East Africa Marine System (TEAMS) cable remains operational and is being utilized for local internet traffic, mitigating the impact of the outage to some extent.
Additionally, measures such as activating redundancy on the South Africa route aim to minimize the potential for a complete internet blackout.
To further address the situation, CAK has instructed service providers to secure alternative routes for their traffic. This proactive approach aims to ensure ongoing connectivity despite the challenges posed by the fiber cut.
“Meanwhile, the Authority has directed service providers to take proactive steps to secure alternative routes for their traffic and is monitoring the situation closely to ensure that incoming and outbound internet connectivity is available,” stated CAK.
While Kenya and other East African countries grapple with internet outages and reduced speeds, reports suggest that the severity of the disruption is particularly acute in neighboring Tanzania, with some users experiencing a total blackout of internet services.