Telecom
SAT-3 Service Cut Leaves Internet Users Stranded
The growth in the Nigerian internet data market has suffered a major setback as SAT-3, the 15,000km undersea cable which lands in eight West African countries including Nigeria as it winds its way between Europe and South Africa has been severely damaged, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can report.
The cut is thought to have been caused by the reclamation of Bar Beach by the Lagos state government under its Eko Atlantic project, a new city under construction off Bar Beach, Victoria Island: a stretch of coastline adjacent to Lagos.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that the cut on SAT-3 occurred June last year at the ‘Beach Manhole’ of the infrastructure- which is the first landing point of an undersea cable.
Because of the cut, companies have being forced to use alternatives – such as Glo 1, MainOne and WACS as well as satellite links – to maintain connections to the rest of the world.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that repairs of the cut section of the cable have become impossible as a result of the depth of the sea.
The sea has reportedly become shallow because of sand filling going on and would not enable cable ship effect repairs of the cut section of undersea cable.
Because of the problem, that the management of the SAT-3 infrastructure and Lagos State government have decided to relocate the Beach Manhole of the infrastructure to a location that is far from the Eko Atlantic.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek learnt that the repair of cut on undersea cable will take a minimum of three weeks.
The repair will involve renting of a cable ship from Cape Town in South Africa which is the only country where the ship is available in Africa; processing of custom papers; obtaining approvals from NIMASA and other agencies required to allow the ship to come into the country’s waters.
The total available bandwidth capacity from undersea cables’ infrastructure in the country is put at 7,862 Synchronous Transport Module, level 1 (STM-1).
The STM-1 frame is the basic transmission format for SDH—the first level of the synchronous digital hierarchy. There is 155 megabyte per second in an STM-1 frame.
The increase in the bandwidth capacity from fiber links is anchored on the landing of three submarine cable, MainOne, Glo 1 and West Africa Cable System (WACS) that added 7,795 STM-1 to the capacity.
As at 2009 fiber link capacity available in the country were provided through SAT-3 operated by Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (Nitel) and Suburban Telecom. SAT-3 has 64 STM-1 capacity out of which 30 is demanded while Suburban contributes 3 STM-1 bringing available capacity in the country from the fiber optic infrastructure to 67 STM-1.
Mr. Mohammed Rudman, managing director, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, said that the increase in capacity has translate into cheaper cost of bandwidth as operators now spend less on their required bandwidth for service delivery.
This has started happening as the cost of international bandwidth has drop from $800 per megabyte per second to some $300 for the capacity.
At the recently concluded NextNow Business Forum in Victoria Island, MTN Nigeria electrified the business community with a live demonstration of its forthcoming Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS), a solution engineered to redefine how Nigerian enterprises connect with their customers.
Unlike traditional communication systems, MTN’s CPaaS is built for the realities of a mobile-first market. The platform unifies SMS, voice, WhatsApp, email, and more into a single, intuitive interface. This approach is especially significant in Nigeria, with over 107 million internet users, 45.4% of the total population, according to Data Report. This figure underscores the necessity for businesses to meet customers where they are.
During the demo, attendees witnessed how CPaaS enables two-way, real-time conversations between brands and customers. The platform’s support for rich media, instant analytics, and seamless integration with business workflows drew particular attention. These features are designed to empower businesses with data-driven insights and the agility to personalise every interaction, whether it’s a service notification, marketing campaign, or customer support exchange.
Akinbulejo Onabolu, Head of Enterprise Segment at MTN Nigeria, articulated the vision: “CPaaS gives enterprises the flexibility to interact with their customers on their preferred platforms; whether it’s chat, voice, or messaging, in a way that feels personal and immediate. We’re looking forward to the value this will unlock for businesses across industries once it launches.”
The fireside chat added depth to the conversation, with Omowunmi Olatunbosun, Head of SME Segment at MTN Nigeria, and Stephen Agbi of Bayobab, highlighting how digital engagement bridges the gap between businesses and audiences.
They emphasised that today’s consumers demand immediacy, relevance, and ease, qualities that CPaaS is built to deliver.
The stakes for digital transformation in Nigeria are high. In a report by Punch, the country’s enterprise tech market is projected to reach $22 billion by 2027, reflecting a surge in demand for scalable, cloud-based solutions that drive efficiency and customer loyalty.
The CPAAS Acceleration Alliance have estimated that globally, the CPaaS market is expected to grow from $14.7 billion in 2025 to $72.4 billion by 2035, at a compound annual growth rate of 18.4%, a testament to the platform’s transformative potential.
The event’s closing keynote from META’s Korhan Yunak reinforced the strategic value of digital channels like WhatsApp, which are now indispensable for business communication and engagement at scale.
As MTN Nigeria prepares for the Q3 2025 launch, the anticipation is unmistakable. With its promise of flexibility, intelligence, and seamless integration, MTN’s CPaaS platform is set to become the backbone of next-generation business-customer engagement in Nigeria, enabling enterprises to not just communicate but to connect, adapt, and grow in a digital-first era.
MTN Uganda is seeking input from stakeholders on a plan to structurally separate its mobile money service, MoMo, from its core telecoms business.
According to the company, the proposed change will be discussed at the upcoming extraordinary general meeting on July 2.
If approved, the telco’s fintech business will be run by a new company controlled by MTN Group Fintech Holdings B.V. and a trust benefiting minority shareholders following a merger.
Additionally, the restructuring also aligns with MTN Group’s ambition 2025 strategy which aims to unlock value, attract new investors, and strengthen regulatory compliance by creating standalone fintech entities in Uganda, Ghana, and Nigeria.
The company’s fintech division has over 13 million customers, with an 18.4% revenue increase in the first quarter of 2025, driven by 19.0% growth in mobile money services, 19.8% growth in transaction volumes, and a 31.4% increase in transaction value.
Reports say the decision is part of the telco’s compliance with the National Payment Systems Act 2020, which mandates mobile money businesses to operate as standalone entities, and to align with MTN Group’s regional fintech strategy.
MTN Uganda, which is led by CEO Sylvia Mulinge, highlighted that the implementation of the proposed transaction will be subjected to a number of conditions and regulatory procedures.
“The implementation of the proposed transaction shall be subject to a number of conditions, including the company and MTN MoMo receiving all required regulatory approvals and no-objections and complying with any regulatory conditions,” said MTN Uganda in notice.
Netflix has announced plans to invest more than €1 billion in Spanish film and television productions over the next four years, reinforcing its commitment to Spain as a key creative hub in Europe.
The announcement was made by co-chief executive Ted Sarandos at an event held at Netflix’s production studios near Madrid, celebrating the company’s 10-year presence in the country.
Sarandos emphasized that the investment would contribute significantly to Spain’s economy, create jobs, and enable the streaming platform to produce more local content. He was joined by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in unveiling the initiative.
Netflix first established its international production studios in Madrid in 2019, following the success of the Spanish-language hit series Money Heist.
Since then, its 22,000-square-meter facility has become one of Netflix’s major production centers within the European Union.
The company currently supports over 20,000 jobs in Spain, highlighting the nation’s growing influence in global entertainment.
The investment reflects Netflix’s ongoing strategy to expand its presence in European markets through original content and local talent.
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