MTN, Airtel, Other Telcos Finally Set Date for 100% Service for Voice, Data after Internet Outage
- Nigerian telecommunication providers have promised to restore complete data and voice services to customers by Tuesday, March 19, 2024
- The companies said the move comes as about 90% of service has been restored to the undersea cable cut, which disrupted services across Africa
- A recent report by a cybersecurity and internet watchdog, NetBlocks, estimates that Nigeria has lost about N273 billion in four days to the internet outage
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Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has said that voice and data services affected by the undersea cable cut along the Ivorian coast and Senegal would be restored fully on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.
Gbenga Adebayo, the chairman of ALTON, disclosed this on Monday, March 18, 2024.
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Undersea cable cut disrupts internet
On Thursday, March 14, 2024, the undersea cable supplying broadband internet to Nigeria and other West African countries forced several banks, financial institutions, telcos, and other firms to scale down operations.
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According to a Punch report, the cable companies affected include the West African Cable System (WACS) and African Coast to Europe (ACE).
Additionally, SAT3 and MainOne also reported downtime due to the cable cut.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that MainOne restored internet services for some customers over the weekend.
Nigerian banks and telecommunication companies diverted their traffic to alternative channels and providers to reduce the impact of the disruption.
Nigeria loses N273 billion in 4 days
Reports disclosed that disruption in internet services cost Nigeria over N273 billion in four days.
NetBlocks revealed that between Thursday, March 14, and Sunday, March 17, 2024, its cost indicator showed that Nigeria lost about N273,987,701,601 billion in the fours using the prevailing exchange rates of May 2023.
NetBlocks estimates the economic effect of a single internet service disruption of the specified type location and duration.
NCC, and MTN say voice data services are restored
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said the voice and data services affected by cable cuts have been restored.
Reuben Muoka, NCC's director of public affairs, stated this in a statement released on Monday, March 18, 2023, and obtained by Legit.ng.
The statement noted that restoration efforts have reached approximately 90% of peak utilisation capacities.
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Source: Legit.ng
