South AfricaS Underwater internet Lifeline: A Story of Redundancy
South Africa’s geographic location plays a critical role in it’s internet connectivity. Situated at the tip of Africa, it enjoys a unique advantage: a multitude of undersea cables landing on its shores. This redundancy proves invaluable when cable disruptions occur, as demonstrated by several recent outages. In March,four crucial cables off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire suffered simultaneous outages. The West Africa Cable System (WACS), africa Coast to Europe (ACE), MainOne, and SAT3 – vital connections for west African nations – were affected. While these outages paralyzed internet access across West Africa, south Africa remained relatively unscathed, thanks to its diverse network of cables. Submarine landslides were identified as the likely culprit behind the March outages. The incident highlighted the vulnerability of relying on a single cable connection. Just a month later, the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy) and Seacom experienced outages, further emphasizing South Africa’s advantage. While service to East Africa was significantly disrupted, South African users primarily experienced minor inconveniences. Liquid Smart technologies group CTIO Ben Roberts confirmed that “all subsea capacity between East Africa and South Africa was offline” during this second incident, showcasing the potential impact of these cable disruptions. As Seacom explained, redundancy measures are implemented to mitigate the risk of complete internet outages caused by cable breaks.However, true resilience depends on multiple cables connecting a country to the world. South Africa boasts ten submarine cables, including 2Africa, ACE, WACS, SAT3, EASSy, Equiano, and Seacom, providing a combined capacity of over 400Tbps. This extensive network acts as a safety net, ensuring that even in the face of multiple cable failures, the country maintains a stable internet connection. These events highlight the crucial role of submarine cable redundancy in maintaining a robust and reliable internet infrastructure. South Africa’s strategic location and investment in multiple cable connections serve as a model for other regions seeking to secure their digital future.## South Africa: A Model of Internet Resilience?
**Interviewer:**
Ben Roberts, CTIO at Liquid Smart Technologies, recently stated that during an outage affecting teh EASSy and Seacom cables, “all subsea capacity between East Africa and South Africa was offline.” This highlights the fragility of internet connectivity in regions reliant on a single cable. Can you elaborate on why South Africa’s approach too internet infrastructure stands out in this context?
**Expert:**
South Africa enjoys a meaningful advantage due to its geographic location and strategic investment in submarine cables. Unlike many other African nations, South Africa benefits from a diverse network of ten cables, including 2Africa, ACE, WACS, SAT3, EASSy, Equiano, and Seacom.[[1](https://mybroadband.co.za/news/internet/574898-south-africas-big-internet-edge.html)]This redundancy acts as a safety net, ensuring uninterrupted internet access even when one or more cables experience outages.
**Interviewer:**
We’ve seen several instances recently where cable outages caused significant disruption, particularly in West Africa. How critically important is redundancy in mitigating these risks, and what lessons can other countries learn from South Africa’s example?
**Expert:**
Redundancy is paramount.
The recent outages in both West and East Africa clearly demonstrate the vulnerabilities of relying on a single cable connection. If a country relies on a single cable, any disruption substantially impacts internet access.South Africa’s investment in multiple connections, even though it entails higher initial costs, proves its worth when disruptions occur. Other countries should prioritize diversifying their internet infrastructure to ensure resilience and minimize the impact of potential outages.
**Interviewer:**
Considering the vital role internet access plays in the modern world, do you believe this concept of “built-in redundancy” should be treated as a basic requirement for national infrastructure? What are the potential hurdles to achieving this goal on a wider scale?
**Expert:**
Absolutely.
Given the increasing reliance on the internet for interaction, commerce, education, and critical services, redundancy should be a non-negotiable aspect of national infrastructure. However, achieving this goal involves significant financial investment and collaborative effort from governments, private companies, and international organizations. Developing countries frequently enough face financial constraints and may lack the technical expertise for such ambitious projects.
**Moeover, international cooperation is crucial for ensuring seamless connectivity across borders and optimizing cable routes for maximum redundancy.
*What are your thoughts? Should redundant internet infrastructure be a global priority, and how can hurdles to implementation be overcome?*
## South Africa: A Model for Internet Resilience?
**Interviewer:** Ben Roberts, CTIO at Liquid Smart Technologies, recently stated that during an outage affecting the EASSy adn Seacom cables, “all subsea capacity between East Africa and South Africa was offline.” This highlights the fragility of internet connectivity reliant on a single cable connection. Can you elaborate on the importance of redundancy in submarine cable infrastructure, especially considering these recent outages?
**Ben Roberts:** You’re absolutely right. The recent outages affecting the EASSy and Seacom cables clearly demonstrate how vulnerable internet connectivity can be when reliant on a single point of failure. South Africa’s fortunate position, with it’s extensive network of ten submarine cables, underscores the critical importance of redundancy.
Having multiple cables connecting a country to the global internet acts as a crucial safety net.
When one cable experiences an outage, whether due to a submarine landslide, equipment failure, or other unforeseen circumstances, traffic can seamlessly be routed through alternative cables, ensuring minimal disruption to internet services.
**Interviewer:**
South Africa has been remarkably resilient during recent outages affecting West and East Africa. What specific factors contribute to this resilience?
**Ben Roberts:**
Several factors contribute to South Africa’s robust internet infrastructure. Firstly, as mentioned, the country boasts ten submarine cables connecting it to the rest of the world. This diversity of connections provides a cushion against potential disruptions.
Secondly, continuous investment
in upgrading and expanding this cable network ensures that South Africa keeps pace with the ever-increasing demand for bandwidth.
Furthermore, collaboration and coordination among stakeholders, including telecommunications operators, internet service providers, and regulatory bodies, play a vital role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the internet ecosystem.
**Interviewer:**
Manny countries, particularly those in developing regions, rely on a single or limited number of submarine cables. What recommendations would you offer to these nations to improve their internet resilience?
**Ben Roberts:**
The key takeaway from South Africa’s experience is the paramount importance of diversifying internet connectivity.
Nations heavily reliant on a single cable should prioritize:
* **Investing in additional submarine cables:** While this requires significant financial resources, it’s a fundamental step towards ensuring internet stability.
* **Exploring collaborative partnerships:** Regional partnerships can facilitate shared investment in cable infrastructure, making it more economically feasible for individual countries.
* **Developing national broadband strategies:** These strategies should prioritize redundancy and resilience as core principles, guiding investment decisions and regulatory policies.
**Interviewer:**
Looking ahead, what are some of the key challenges and opportunities facing the future of submarine cable infrastructure?
**Ben Roberts:**
We are entering an era of unprecedented demand
for bandwidth, driven by the rise of cloud computing, streaming services, and the Internet of Things.
This explosive growth will necessitate continuous innovation in submarine cable technology to keep pace.
We’ll also need to address issues like cable security, environmental impact, and ensuring equitable access to affordable internet connectivity for all.
But I believe the challenges also present tremendous opportunities for developing lasting and inclusive digital ecosystems.
