Telecommunications leaders are urging African governments to adopt a unified strategy against internet disruptions costing economies over $100 million daily during outages.
A new Model Framework for Building Regional Internet Resilience, backed by the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), Internet Society, and AFRINIC, targets vulnerabilities in service networks, power grids, and market barriers.
The push follows March’s West Africa Cable System failure that paralyzed 13 nations for days. Under the proposal, internet providers, utilities, and registries must draft resilience plans within one year of adoption, updated annually. These would enforce redundancy protocols and rapid recovery systems.
“Why does this matter? When connectivity stutters, schools, hospitals, and markets collapse with it,” stressed ATU’s John Omo. “This framework is our insurance against digital darkness.” AFRINIC’s Arthur Carindal praised the collaboration, noting it empowers stakeholders to fortify Africa’s digital backbone through policy alignment.
The plan mandates cross-sector coordination, ensuring infrastructure withstands shocks like submarine cable cuts or grid failures. Without it, experts warn, economic stability remains at the mercy of the next blackout.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
