TELECOM Namibia has established the cause of internet services interruption that is being experienced throughout the country.
In a statement, the telecommunication company says it is experiencing connectivity problems with the submarine cable systems, which is affecting in- and outbound internet connections locally as well to Europe and South Africa. Internet interruption has affected WhatsApp, email and internet services.
According to reports, the problem is caused by two undersea cables that have been hit by separate failures, resulting in slow internet speed in some African countries.
A fault has been found on the South Atlantic 3 (SAT-3) submarine cables, which broke down near Libreville, Gabon, while the internet outage is blamed on the West Africa Cable System (WACS) off the coast of Congo. The WACS cable connects Southern Africa to the United Kingdom.
Telecom head of public relations and corporate communication Nomvula Kandombolo-Kambinda confirmed this, saying, “The problem is a submarine cable that has been affected. It is not a Telecom problem; it is a third-party supplier problem.”
Telecom says a consortiums for the SATC3 and WACS submarine cables are attending to the internet outage and further updates will be provided.
Meantime, Telecom Namibia is engaging partners to acquire altanative capacity from (other cable internet providers) on the East coast of Africa.
