The Wacs cable, along with three other submarine internet cables, is set to be repaired by today (Tuesday, 30 April 2024), following a suspected subsea seismic event near Ivory Coast on 14 March.
The severing of Wacs and other cables, including Sat-3, Ace, and MainOne, caused widespread internet disruptions across the region, reaching as far south as South Africa. However, traffic was rerouted swiftly through alternative cables like Google’s Equiano system and the Sacs cable.
Repair Timeline
The repair process has been underway for some time, with repair ships sailing from distant locations to address the severed cables. This involved lifting the cables off the ocean floor, conducting repairs on board the ship, and carefully lowering the cables back into place.
The repair of the older Sat-3 cable system was completed and restored to service on 7 April. Openserve, Telkom’s wholesale networks subsidiary and an investor in both Sat-3 and Wacs, anticipates completing repairs to Wacs by Tuesday, with internet traffic expected to resume soon after.
The repair ship, CS Sovereign, has been tasked with repairing both the Wacs and Ace systems, and possibly the MainOne cable as well. While the progress of Ace and MainOne repairs is yet to be confirmed, the CS Sovereign has been spotted near Ivory Coast, suggesting ongoing repair efforts.
Causes and Prevalence of Cable Faults
Seismic events are a common cause of cable faults along Africa’s west coast, with previous disruptions occurring in the deep Congo Canyon. Elsewhere, such as in the Red Sea shipping corridor, cable cuts are often caused by ships dropping anchor.
Efforts to repair the Wacs cable and other damaged submarine internet cables are progressing, with the expectation of resumed internet connectivity in the affected regions. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance remain crucial to safeguarding against future disruptions.
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