A woman uses a computer to browse the internet. PHOTO/ MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
Internet users across the country should brace for fluctuation in speed— a maximum rate one can transmit data measured as megabits per second (Mbps)—and disruptions following rerouting of the country’s connection from Europe to South Africa to Uganda via Kenya.
This follows “a cabre break” to the SeaCom Group-operated undersea fibre cable that serves Uganda through Mombasa, Kenya.
The SeaCom Group’s chief digital and operations officer, Mr Prenesh Padayachee, told Monitor from Johannesburg that they are “currently in coordination” with their marine maintenance partner to start the repairs on the subsea fibre cable subject to authorisations by relevant authorities.
“We are currently in coordination with our marine maintenance partner for cable repair operations and all applicable logistics,” he said.
“Based upon our provisional assessment, we anticipate a repair operation to commence during Quarter 2, 2024 which remains subject to some variation due to permit authorisation, weather conditions and associated repair logistics,” Mr Padayachee added.
The weather conditions, including dangerous storms such as Tropical Cyclone Hidaya that formed over the central Indian Ocean and ravaged parts of southern Tanzania and Mozambique early this month, could imperil repair works, which means Internet users should brace for disruptions for a couple of weeks or even months.
SeaCom Group operates in Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique, and Tanzania and operates the subsea fibre cable network in the Indian Ocean. The fibre runs from the South Africa KwaZulu-Natal’s coastal town of Mtunzini to the Middle East with core Points of Presence (POP) links— a point where networks build a connection from one place to the rest of the Internet—to Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Kenya. The fibre connection to Mombasa, Kenya extends to Uganda.
SeaCom did not, however, detail exactly what caused the “cable break.”
Fibre optic technology offers faster high-speed Internet connectivity than other broadband options such as satellite, cable modem, broadband over powerlines, and digital subscriber lines.
Fibre technology has facilitated the digital revolution, with, among others, easy access to homes in urban and peri-urban areas. In Uganda, SeaCom provides high-speed internet connectivity, covering various regions across the country.
SeaCom Ltd made inroads in Uganda in 2014 with POP infrastructure and licence that enables it to operate as a network vendor to other service providers such as telecom companies, and data service providers.
The slow Internet speeds that upset the majority users from Sunday afternoon, also adversely affected the ongoing national census, electronic—Point of Sale (POS)—payments, and several e-services, including government ones.
In a statement posted on microblogging site, X, MTN Uganda indicated: “Internet services to much of the East African region of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Sudan have been impacted due to an undersea cable cut.”
This, the company warned, could result in customers “experiencing slower Internet speeds and a generally degraded service when accessing online services like Microsoft 356, Twitter [now X], WhatsApp, among others.”
Airtel also warned its customers of the same, noting that it was “working with partners to restore normal service as quickly as possible.”
The glitches
The Directorate of Immigration in the Ministry of Internal Affairs warned both e-visa and passport applicants on Tuesday evening of “issues while opening the sites, uploading documents, making payments, and other services on the website.”
The Ministry of ICT Permanent Secretary, Dr Aminah Zawedde, told this newspaper separately that they were continuing to monitor the situation.
“It is true we get Internet from Kenya through the undersea cable, and it is true that Internet speeds went down for all vendors—NITA, MTN, among others,” Dr Zawedde said, adding: “But there have been some improvements from Tuesday evening, and we have been told that they (SeaCom) are trying to work around the glitch.”
A map showing the network of Internet cables in Sub-Saharan Africa. Photo/Courtesy of Web Infrastructure
The subsea cable break affected Internet connectivity across large swathes of Eastern Africa, while Tanzania and Mozambique experienced total Internet blackout. According to media reports, the US embassy in Dar es Salaam closed for three days.
SeaCom Ltd executives told Monitor yesterday the diagnosis showed the cable fault happened in Mtunzini, South Africa.
This, Mr Padayachee said, led to immediately rerouting of the Uganda-Kenya internet connectivity via the west coast cable systems to avert a total outage.
“Uganda’s traffic back to South Africa was being routed via Europe, which would result in slower Internet speeds. Thus, it depends on the end destination of the traffic as Tanzania and Maputo lost all connectivity and traffic destined for South Africa was being routed via Europe,” Mr Padayachee said.
Internet users spend average of Shs5,000 on data monthly
The West Africa Cable System (WACS) is a 16,000km four-pair subsea cable running through the Atlantic Ocean from South Africa, with core Points of Presence links to Namibia, Angola, DR Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, Canary Islands, Portugal, and terminating in the United Kingdom.
The $650m (Shs2.4 trillion) WACS fibre was first completed in 2012, and twice underwent upgrade by China’s Huawei.
Mr Padayachee revealed that SeaCom Ltd had “started the process of repairing” its submarine cable in the Indian Ocean to allow normal connectivity.
He also revealed that the connectivity to Tanzania and Mozambique has been restored to operations. “SEACOM has multiple routes between Kenya and Uganda. These routes are spread across multiple providers using different equipment vendors to provide an additional layer of redundancy between the countries,” he added.
Background...Service providers
SeaCom Group’s fibre is among the network of subsea cables connecting the East African region and the rest of the world through the Indian Ocean.
Others include Seychelles East Africa System (SEAS), Lower Indian Ocean Network 1 & 2 (LION 1&2), The East African Marine System (TEAMS), and Eastern Africa Submarine System (EASSy), many with POP links to either Mombasa or Dar es Salaam.
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Mr Peter Kauju, the Umeme head of communications, said to some extent, their services were interrupted because most of their communications are Internet-based.
Mr Arnold Mangeni, the director of information security at the National Information Technology Authority, said Ugandan Internet users were not affected because the cable that was cut is the one which takes the Internet to South Africa. He said since most Internet service providers in Uganda tap the Internet from Mombasa, they were not affected.
Mr Enock Kusasira, the communications manager of the Uganda Electricity Generation Company, said they were experiencing a generally slow Internet service like the rest of East African countries.
Mr Samuel Apedel, the head of corporate affairs at the National Water and Sewerage Corporation, said their services were not interrupted much, as they operate automated systems.
Mr Nyombi Thembo, the executive director of Uganda Communications Communication, said like all other East African countries, Uganda has been affected by intermittent Internet outages and slow connections. He said the bulk Internet undersea cables are operated and owned by international suppliers with nodes that terminate at different points including the East African Coast.
Mr David Birungi, the public relations manager of Airtel Uganda, said their services were only affected on Sunday but restored on Monday after rerouting the services from the damaged cable because their suppliers are upstream.
Mr Martin Ssebuliba, the senior manager of brand and communications at MTN Uganda, said the issue affected the latency of their upstream operations but was saved by their backup system, otherwise, the customers would have experienced downgraded services.
Mr Simon Mundei, the PRO of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said their connection was not that bad only that people were finding difficulties in applying for passports online.
*Additional reporting by Stephen Otage
