Congo Plans Second Cable to End Internet Outages

Imagine trying to run a business, pay bills, or even message family when your internet cuts out every few weeks. That's been life in the Republic of Congo lately, and the government just announced a fix.

The country has suffered repeated internet outages because it depends entirely on one aging submarine cable called WACS. When that cable breaks, everything from mobile banking to government services grinds to a halt.

Now Congo plans to connect to a second undersea cable within three weeks, according to Benjamin Mouandza from the national telecom regulator. Officials are also banking on a delayed cable project called Dow Africa to strengthen connections even more.

The solution sounds technical, but the impact is deeply human. Small business owners lose sales during outages. Students can't access online classes. Families abroad can't reach loved ones. One broken cable shouldn't have that much power over daily life.

Congo isn't alone in this struggle. The neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo faces the same WACS-related problems, and the cable operator has stayed mysteriously silent about the repeated failures.

The Ripple Effect

When Congo's new backup cable goes live, the benefits will spread far beyond faster downloads. Reliable internet means farmers can check crop prices, doctors can access medical resources, and entrepreneurs can finally compete in the digital economy without constant disruptions.

The country's telecoms minister has already pushed operators to implement emergency fixes while working on permanent solutions. After depending on WACS since 2012, Congo is finally building the redundancy that should have existed from the start.

This isn't just about technology. It's about dignity and opportunity. Every person deserves internet access stable enough to build a future on.