It Might Take Month To Fix Undersea Internet Cables, Tech Experts Say

• Kenyans have been experiencing slow internet speed since Sunday, May 12, following a cut in fiber cables at Mtunzini town in South Africa
• Safaricom confirmed on Monday, May 13, that the outage experienced on one of the undersea cables was yet to be restored
• Experts say it might take some time to fix the internet cable, as deep-sea divers need to go into the ocean to assess the severity of the matter

The problem of slow internet speed might persist for up to a month, tech experts have projected after analysising the situation.

Over the weekend, the undersea internet cables were damaged, causing internet outages across the country and other East African countries.

What caused the internet disruption?

Since Sunday, May 13, Kenyans have been experiencing slow internet speed following a cut in fibre cables at Mtunzini town in South Africa.

Speaking to Citizen TV, Fiona Asonga, the CEO of Technology Service Providers of Kenya (TESPOK), claimed that the internet disruptions that occurred over the weekend have been happening since January.

"The marine internet cables have been disrupted to a point where we cannot access certain services. These services that we can't access are those that are not hosted locally," she said.

How long will it take to fix the internet situation?

Asonga said that the assessment process might take quite some time, as the divers have to dive into the ocean to determine the severity of the situation.

"We have to give them another three weeks to a month to fix it. There is a lot of solutions being put forward by the service providers," she added.

Safaricom confirms internet outage

Earlier, Kenya's leading telecommunications firm, said the outage experienced on one of the undersea cables was yet to be resolved.

Speaking to TUKO.co.ke on Monday, May 13, the telco confirmed that repairs on the damaged cables were ongoing.

However, the company disclosed that it had implemented measures to reduce disruptions and maintain connectivity for its customers.

The internet service provider reiterated that the implemented measures may result in decreased internet speed.

In a public notice on Sunday, May 12, Safaricom said it had activated redundancy measures that will minimise service interruptions.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke