The National Communications Authority (NCA) says it has convened a crucial meeting with key stakeholders on Monday, March 18 at the NCA Tower in Accra, in a bid to address the widespread disruptions in data services caused by undersea cable faults since Thursday, 14th March 2024.

Representatives from various sectors including financial institutions, public utility providers, telecommunications companies, and internet service providers came together to strategize on mitigating the impact of the ongoing connectivity issues.

The meeting, chaired by the NCA, focused on understanding the specific challenges faced by financial and public utility service providers due to the disruption, particularly concerning banking transactions and digital payments for essential services such as water and electricity.

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Following deliberations, the stakeholders reached several agreements aimed at alleviating the effects of the disruption and enhancing service delivery:

1. Bandwidth Allocation: Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) agreed to reassess their operations and explore the possibility of prioritising critical services, including banking and public utilities, by allocating more data resources to ensure their uninterrupted operation.
2. Collaboration with Subsea Cable Providers: MNOs committed to collaborating with Subsea Cable Landing Service Providers to incrementally enhance internet data capacity, thus improving overall connectivity.
3. Local Hosting of Critical Services: It was recommended that financial and utility service providers consider hosting critical services locally in the medium to long term. This measure aims to ensure continuous service delivery even in the event of major disruptions like the current undersea cable faults. Leveraging local internet exchanges such as the Ghana Internet Exchange (GIX) and Accra Internet Exchange (AIX) was also emphasised.
4. Capacity Restoration Efforts: The meeting acknowledged the ongoing efforts by Subsea Cable Landing Service Providers and MNOs to restore capacity by collaborating with international partners. As additional capacity becomes available, user experience is expected to improve gradually.

The NCA reiterated its commitment to keeping the public informed about any developments regarding the situation.

Below is a list of stakeholders at the meeting with the NCA;
i. Bank of Ghana (BoG)
ii. Ghana Association of Banks (GAB)
iii. Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS)
iv. Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE)
v. Central Securities Depository
vi. Ghana Water Company Limited
vii. Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG)
viii. Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)
ix. Subsea Cable Landing Service Providers
x. Ghana Internet Exchange (GIX)
xi. Accra Internet Exchange (AIX)