Slow internet for SA! things to know about our “sea cables”
South Africa’s internet is propped up by a series of underwater cables in the middle of the ocean, so when two major cables connecting us to European networks had both suffered major technical issues, South African internet users have unfortunately been experience very slow internet speeds. Various service providers have been affected and it looks like it will be a while before we are back up to speed
What you need to know:
The sea cables stretch across massive distances underneath the planets oceans, linking major routers of each country to both neighbouring and far-away systems. When one supplier into South Africa goes down, it’s bad news. When two suppliers break, we end up with this nationwide sluggishness.
The South Atlantic 3 cable has suffered a breakdown near Libreville, Gabon. This network connects South Africa with the Iberian countries of Portugal and Spain. The West African Cable System is the other faulty system. It connects South Africa with the United Kingdom and several coastal African nations. Services are being re-routed, but the internet still remains slow for many of us.
How do sea cables work?
Also known as “submarine communication cables”, the wires are fixed to the sea bed between land-based stations. Around 99% of all international data goes through these fibre-optic materials. Specially modified ships are employed to crawl across the sea, and slowly seal the cables in place. Up to 2 000km of cable can be on board these vessels at any given time, and 150-200km can be laid per day. To combat connectivity challenges, the wires are installed with optical repeaters to help boost the signal.
- It takes about 3 or 4 weeks to complete a sea cable connection
- Each connection has around a 10 year life cycle before new cables must be laid
- These projects can cost between R1.4bn – R7.1bn
Where are South Africa’s main internet connections?
South Africa has a pile of connections on the south-west coast, between Cape Town and the Garden Route. There are also strategic locations on the east coast, sitting just outside of KwaZulu-Natal.
We’re supplied by sea cables which run through the Atlantic and Indian Oceans respectively. Here is a map provided by submarinecablemap.com so we can see where the underwater wires run:
When can we expect a solution?
Internet Service Providers are already working on re-routing some of their heavily affected networks. However, the issue may persist over the weekend and into late January. Diagnosing the problem and finding the correct location is no easy task.
For now, we’re going to have to grin and bear it 😉
Source Attribution:
Original Author: Tom Head
Source: The South African
