Liberia Races to Repair Vital Undersea Internet Cable Damaged by Construction

By Global News Network Liberia
April 3, 2025

Monrovia, Liberia – April 2, 2025: The Liberian government, through the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) and the Cable Consortium of Liberia (CCL), has initiated urgent repair and rerouting operations on the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine fiber optic cable, the nation’s primary source of internet data transmission. This critical intervention comes after construction on a portion of the PHP Park allegedly caused significant damage to the cable’s landing site.

According to Henry Benson, CEO of CCL, the damage occurred during the administration of former President George Weah, despite repeated warnings from CCL and major telecommunications operators about the potential risks associated with construction activities in the cable’s landing zone. Benson told reporters that heavy tonnage of rocks were buried directly over the cable’s landing point, leading to its submersion and subsequent intermittent internet outages experienced by Liberians.

The situation has become increasingly critical, with ACE submarine cable leadership reportedly warning of a potential complete internet blackout for Liberia if immediate action was not taken.

In response, the current JNB administration has swiftly moved to address the issue by undertaking the complex task of rerouting the damaged cable. Benson, during a guarded tour of the affected site with journalists, commended the government’s prompt action to avert a potential national internet crisis.

As part of the repair process, an ACE cable repair vessel is scheduled to arrive in Liberia on April 23rd. The government will bear the cost of these emergency repairs. Following the ship’s arrival, Liberians are expected to experience intermittent disruptions to internet service for several days as the rerouting work is completed.

Acknowledging the anticipated disruptions, LTA Acting Commissioner Clarance Massaquoi assured the public that every effort is being made to minimize the impact. He stated that the LTA is providing backhaul authorization to service providers to ensure that internet access remains available throughout the repair period.

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