Operators have reported connectivity disruption across Africa after multiple subsea cables had been reported to be damaged off the coast in West Africa.
Subsea cables carry the bulk of connectivity traffic with a small part carried by satellites. Reports of internet connectivity being disrupted came in yesterday (March 14). Internet security company Cloudflare reported Liberia saw disruptions lasting more than 12 hours, while in Gambia and Guinea outages only lasted 30 minutes. In a statement to Developing Telecoms, Orange said the ACE, MainOne Sat 3, and WACS cables had been damaged along the West Coast of Africa. “Major impacts on international connectivity (voice and data) have been observed in several countries, particularly for Orange subsidiaries in the Ivory Coast, Liberia, Burkina Mali and Guinea,” said an Orange spokesperson. The operator said the cause of the outages is unknown at this time, and it is looking to reroute traffic and connect isolated countries through alternative routes. “Several terrestrial links have already been reinforced to improve the situation,” said Orange. Vodacom posted on X (formerly Twitter) that there had been “undersea cable failures between South Africa and Europe” which had affected South African MNOs”. The operator implemented alternative solutions and “normal service has been restored to customers”. Angola Cables detailed in a statement there had indeed been “cable breaks” off the coast of West Africa, specifically in the Ivory Coast. Traffic has been redirected to the SACS cable which connects Angola directly to Brazil, the US and Europe. “Angola Cables has network backup and restoration solutions available through cables that have not been affected by the faults off the Ivory Coast,” the cable company said.
0 Comments
2024 FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CONSTRUCTOR STANDINGS
2024 Formula 1 World Championship Drivers' Standings
FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX 2024 - Race Results
tr>
FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX 2024 - Top 10 Qualifying Results
Carlos Sainz has been ruled out of this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Ferrari have confirmed.
Sainz missed Wednesday’s media day through illness but was in action for Ferrari in the first two practice sessions. Ferrari have announced that Sainz has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will require surgery. He will be replaced by Ferrari protege, and British driver, Oliver Bearman. Ferrari released the following statement on social media on Friday morning: “Carlos Sainz has been diagnosed with appendicitis and will require surgery. “As from FP3 and for the rest of this weekend, he will be replaced by reserve driver Oliver Bearman. Oliver will therefore take no further part in this round of the F2 Championship. “The Ferrari family wishes Carlos a speedy recovery.” Sainz had admitted after FP2 that it was a "very difficult" day but hoped that the rest of the weekend would be easier for him. However, the 29-year-old will now require surgery. Williams driver Alex Albon was forced to miss the 2022 Italian Grand Prix due to appendicitis. The Thai driver returned to action two weeks later in Singapore. Who is Bearman? At just 18, Bearman is one of Formula 2’s hottest prospects with a big future ahead of him. Tipped to be a Haas driver in 2025, Bearman was set to start this weekend’s F2 round in Saudi Arabia on pole position. The British driver showed great potential in his rookie season, taking four victories as he finished sixth in the championship. While overall consistency escaped him, his raw pace, particularly for a rookie, caught the eye of many. Bearman is tipped to be Britain’s next F1 superstar - and by making his debut with Ferrari - he has the perfect opportunity to showcase his credentials. Due to his F1 commitments, Bearman will miss both F2 races in Saudi Arabia. Yemen-based Houthi militants could have cut underwater cables in the Red Sea, several media outlets have claimed.
Popular internet platforms owned by Meta – including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads – experienced global disruptions lasting for over two hours on Tuesday. Google services were affected to a lesser extent, with reports claiming that the outrages may have been caused by Houthi militants severing Red Sea cables. Several Asia-based telecom operators warned as early as last week that four underwater internet cables had been severed in the Red Sea. In recent months, the area has seen repeated attacks on civilian cargo ships by Yemeni Houthi militants, who describe the assaults as retaliation for Israel’s military operation against Hamas in Gaza. The Houthis, however, have denied cutting internet cables in the region. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said the company was “aware people are having trouble accessing our services.” In a subsequent message, he put the disruptions down to a “technical issue,” without providing further details. Around the same time, TeamYouTube, part of the broader Google group, said it had received “reports of loading issues” with the platform and was working to address the problem. On Monday, HGC Communications, a Hong Kong-based telecom operator, reported that four submarine internet cables had been “cut,” namely SEACOM, TGN, Africa Asia Europe-One, and the Europe India Gateway. According to the company’s estimates, the incident affected 25% of its internet traffic. HGC Communications assured customers that it had a contingency plan in place, with traffic being rerouted through mainland China and the US. The telecom operator released its first public statement on the incident last Thursday, describing it as an “exceptionally rare occurrence” that had caused a “significant impact on communication networks in the Middle East.” Tata Communications, part of the Indian conglomerate behind the Seacom-TGN-Gulf line, also confirmed to AP that the line had been severed, with “immediate and appropriate remedial actions” underway. Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Telecom Ministry issued a statement denying reports “by the Zionist-linked media outlets” that the armed group was responsible for damage to the cables. The Houthis are “keen to keep all submarine telecom cables… away from any possible risks,” the statement added. On Sunday, the Telegraaf reported that Max Verstappen had been approached by Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, to publicly support Christian Horner.
BBC Sport independently verified the story. This followed Verstappen's qualified support for Horner during the lead-up to the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he was repeatedly questioned about his confidence in Horner. The FIA has been contacted for comment. Verstappen's involvement is significant due to his influence within Red Bull stemming from his on-track success. It also highlights internal tensions within Red Bull, including conflicts between Horner and Helmut Marko, as well as between the Thai majority owners and executives in Austria. Last year, the Verstappens sided with Marko after his disagreement with Horner. The company's ownership structure is divided, with 51% owned by the Yoovidhya family and 49% by Red Bull in Austria, led by Mark Mateschitz, the son of co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who passed away in October 2022.
2024 FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CONSTRUCTOR STANDINGS
2024 Formula 1 World Championship Drivers' Standings
|
Thank you for choosing to make a difference through your donation. We appreciate your support.
Categories
All
Archives
March 2024
|