…. As NCA okays Starlink Satellite Broadband
Ghanaians can anticipate a swift resolution to the internet disruption caused by damaged undersea cables, with full access to the internet expected in the coming weeks.
Ahead of this, the National Communications Authority (NCA) has finally approved Space X Starlink GH LTD, operators of Starlink Satellite Broadband, to provide Satellite Broadband Services in Ghana.
Sources within the NCA have assured that every effort is being made to expedite the restoration of internet access.
According to insiders close to the NCA Board chaired by Okatakyie Ababio Boakye Danquah II (Isaac Emil Osei-Bonsu Jnr.), the Authority aims to achieve full restoration within a month.
“….we will have full restoration in a month”, the Authority projected.
The NCA’s approval of Starlink’s Satellite Broadband application was announced in a statement issued in Accra on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
The statement reads, “The National Communications Authority (NCA) has approved the application of Space X Starlink GH LTD operators of Starlink Satellite Broadband to offer Satellite Broadband Services in Ghana.”
It further stated, “The approval of the application follows the policy approval of the Satellite Licensing Framework in Ghana by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation.”
“The administrative processes towards the issuance of the license are ongoing and will be completed shortly.”
Starlink Satellite Broadband Services garnered public attention, following the disruption caused by the damage to undersea cables, impacting internet connectivity across the African continent.
The disconnection adversely affected various aspects of daily life, including education, healthcare, and commerce.
In March, several African countries experienced significant internet access cuts due to damage to submarine communications cables, as reported by telecom operators.
MTN Group, a South African operator, stated, “Breaks in multiple major undersea cables have affected connectivity services in several West African countries.”
Efforts were made to reroute internet traffic through alternative network paths and collaborate with partners to repair the damaged cables.
Ivory Coast bore the brunt of the cuts, followed by Liberia, Benin, Ghana, and Burkina Faso.
While less severe outages occurred in Cameroon, Gabon, Namibia, and Niger, Nigeria and South Africa, were also affected to a lesser extent.
Vodacom, a South African operator, attributed the connectivity issues to multiple undersea cable failures, without providing specific details.
This incident underscores the critical role of submarine cables in global internet infrastructure, with much of the world’s internet traffic relying on these underwater fibre optic links, including one of the longest cables spanning 15,000 kilometres from Portugal to South Africa.
