ACE Cable Gets a New Route as Liberia Fights Internet Disruptions
Liberia begins rerouting its only fiber-optic cable after a monument was built over its landing point, disrupting access and connectivity.
The Liberian Government, through the Liberia Telecommunications Authority , LIBTELCO and the Cable Consortium of Liberia (CCL), has commenced the rerouting process of the country’s only fiber-optic cable, which provides essential internet connectivity nationwide. The ACE cable landed in Liberia in 2011 via the PHP beach.
The rerouting process is as a result of the monument at the PHP Park being built on the landing point of the ACE cable.The cable is therefore unaccessible from the initial landing point so it has to be rerouted for the pending repair works.
During the walk-through tour, accompanied by Commissioners of the LTA and the Managing Director of LIBTELCO, Mr. Henry Benson, CEO of the Cable Consortium of Liberia, CCL among other things, informed journalists that the contractor thatvbuilt the PHP Park did not consider the advice of the CCL not to build the monument at the park on the Cable landing point.
We did write a letter, we pushed but our resistance to this whole infrastructure was ignored unfortunately.– Mr. Henry Benson, Managing Director, LIBTELCO
He also mentioned that the whole rerouting process entails huge financial and technical requirements/implications.
Acting Commissioner Clarence K. Massaquoi, for his part assured Liberians not to panic because there are contingency plans in place to ensure that the internet is not completely down during the repair period.
Technical experts have already begun executing the rerouting process, ensuring that the new pathway offers a clear line of access to the cable without future obstructions.
A ship bringing in technicians, lands in Liberia on the 22nd of this month to begin the repair process on the Cable.
