The Eastern Africa Submarine System (EASSy) and Seacom cables, which provide critical internet connectivity to East African nations, experienced faults over the weekend of May 12th, 2024. These disruptions impacted internet traffic in countries like Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
The specialized repair vessel, Léon Thévenin, is scheduled to depart Cape Town Harbour today, May 14th, at 5 PM. The ship is equipped to handle underwater repairs in depths ranging from 10 meters to 7 kilometers and carries various tools for cable detection, retrieval, splicing, and testing.
Léon Thévenin recently completed repairs on the SAT-3 cable near Abidjan and will now focus on the East Coast’s EASSy and Seacom cables. EASSy spans 10,000 kilometers and serves as the backbone for East Africa’s voice, data, and internet traffic.
While the subsea cable faults were a significant factor, reports also suggest additional terrestrial cable failures may have contributed to internet disruptions in South Africa.
The Léon Thévenin is expected to reach the cable fault location by Saturday, May 18th. Once repairs are complete, internet connectivity in East Africa should return to normal.
