ACE Submarine Cable Outage Disrupts West Africa
The ACE submarine cable outage caused a major disruption across West Africa when a break near Nouakchott, Mauritania, cut internet access for millions. Mauritania lost connectivity for two days, while nine other African countries experienced service interruptions.
Learn more about Orange, the consortium leader: https://www.orange.com
What Caused the Cable Break
Reports indicate that a trawler likely damaged the African Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable on March 30. The vessel appears to have lifted the cable from the seabed and cut through it.
A spokesperson from Orange shared images from a repair vessel that confirmed the damage. These findings support the conclusion that fishing activity caused the outage.
Impact on Mauritania and Beyond
Mauritania depends entirely on the ACE cable for internet access. As a result, the country’s 4.5 million residents lost connectivity during the outage.
The ACE system spans 10,500 miles and connects 22 countries from France to South Africa. Therefore, the damage affected a large portion of West Africa, disrupting businesses, communications, and digital services.
Why Submarine Cable Reliability Matters
This outage highlights the risks tied to relying on a single submarine cable infrastructure. Countries without backup systems face greater vulnerability when disruptions occur.
Telecom providers and governments continue to invest in redundant networks and improved infrastructure. These efforts aim to reduce downtime and protect critical connectivity across the region.
