Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Casimir Vodjo
Published on 2024-03-19 16:20:00
The Beninese Digital Infrastructure Company (SBIN.SA) held a press conference at its headquarters in Cotonou on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, to provide more details on the significant disruptions experienced by the fixed and mobile internet connection of CELTIIS on the morning of Thursday, March 14, 2024. According to Omar Gueye Ndiaye, CEO of SBIN SA, the disruptions were mainly caused by severe damage to four underwater cables in the high seas.
During the press conference on Tuesday, the officials of the mobile operator Celtiis discussed the malfunction observed in the internet connection on Thursday, March 14, 2024. According to the explanations of the Director General of SBIN SA, Omar Gueye Ndiaye, these massive disruptions were triggered by damages to four vital underwater cables for internet connectivity in the region.
“In fact, 4 underwater cables: Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), South Atlantic 3 (SAT-3), MainOne, and West Africa Cable System (WACS), carrying internet traffic, suffered severe damage in the high seas. The current hypothesis is that seismic movements with landslides occurred near the passage of the four cables,” said Omar Gueye Ndiaye, specifying that these incidents resulted in interruptions in several countries, including Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and others.
In response to this unforeseen situation, CELTIIS took appropriate actions that allowed it to maintain connectivity. “Thanks to the anticipation of our technical services, with the implementation of our fixed and mobile internet service continuity plan, the provision of internet connection was ensured in degraded mode. Slowdowns and disconnections of the internet were observed by our clients from Thursday, March 14, to Saturday, March 16, 2024,” said Omar Gueye Ndiaye.
“Our technical teams have been strongly mobilized for a quick restoration of services with stable and quality connectivity. As of Saturday morning, March 16, the user experience has seen a considerable improvement, with a return to normal service, stabilized on Sunday, March 17, 2024,” detailed Omar Gueye Ndiaye.
Despite the progress made, the repair work on the damaged cables could take several weeks. However, CELTIIS remains committed to providing reliable and quality service to its customers during this difficult period.
Commercial Gesture Measures
Madame Astrid AGBOTON, head of the CELTIS experience and customer service department, described the measures taken to reassure customers during the malfunction period. She also announced strong measures for customers affected by the disruptions.
Indeed, all customers who subscribed to daily plans on March 14, 15, and 16 will be fully reimbursed. Customers who subscribed to weekly or monthly plans on March 14, 15, and 16 will receive a bonus of 500 megabytes. Other favorable measures will also be taken for customers in the coming days.
Director Omar Gueye Ndiaye, while apologizing to customers, assured that interim solutions continue to be studied with partners to ensure the best quality of internet and effectively deal with any unforeseen situations in the future.
Read the original article(French) on Benin Web TV
