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Liberia has been experiencing persistent Internet disruptions, and the root cause has now been identified—a critical fault in the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable. This undersea cable, which serves as Liberia’s primary Internet backbone, sustained damage during construction activities at PHP Park, triggering widespread connectivity issues across the country.
Henry Benson, Managing Director of the Cable Consortium of Liberia (CCL), revealed that the damage actually occurred during the previous administration under former President George Weah. According to Benson, despite repeated warnings from CCL and telecommunications operators, a significant volume of construction material was dumped directly onto the cable’s landing site, ultimately resulting in the cable being buried and compromised.
The impact has been severe enough for ACE cable operators to issue warnings about the potential for a nationwide Internet blackout. However, the current government, led by President Joseph Boakai, has acted swiftly to contain the situation. Immediate steps have been taken to reroute traffic and initiate repairs, showcasing a proactive approach to risk mitigation and regulatory compliance in digital infrastructure.
To highlight the urgency of the situation, Benson led journalists on a site tour and commended the Boakai administration for its rapid response. A specialized repair vessel has been dispatched and is expected to arrive by April 23 to begin restoration efforts. During this repair window, users should anticipate intermittent service and reduced bandwidth.
In the interim, the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) has granted Internet Service Providers (ISPs) the green light to activate alternate routing paths. This regulatory framework aims to ensure continued digital access and minimize downtime, reinforcing the importance of compliance management in national ICT operations.
While alternative services such as Starlink are now present in Liberia, the ACE cable remains a cornerstone of national connectivity. This incident highlights the critical need for resilient infrastructure, regulatory risk management, and robust compliance monitoring tools to protect essential communication systems.
As Liberia works toward restoring stable Internet access, the episode serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in undersea cable systems and the importance of timely regulatory enforcement and compliance audits to safeguard digital infrastructure.
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