TNM invests into 3 additional fibre cable routes to counter internet disruptions by beyond-its-control sea cable cuts

TNM CEO Hebert Michel during the press briefing

* As the Malawian mobile network operator swiftly restores recently disrupted internet service through sea cable cuts

* The additional three routes are designed to provide resilience to the TNM internet in the event of future similar incidences

By Duncan Mlanjira

Over the past week, TNM customers experienced exasperatingly slow and intermittent internet services, which the company apologised for and explained that it was due to disruption by cuts to under-sea fibre cables.

At a press briefing yesterday, TNM Plc management — led by its Chief Executive Officer, Michel Hebert explained that the submarine cables in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean have since February been subjected to cuts due, in part, to warfare in the Middle East.

They explained that the latest cut occurred on May 12 that affected over 80 million customers in East Africa and the impact escalated to Malawi and Mozambique. 

Hebert said working around the clock, the mobile network operators engineers managed to beat the deadline to restore internet services disrupted by cuts to under-sea fibre cables in a record three days, which would have ordinarily taken weeks.

“TNM mobile internet is now fully back,” Herbert said. “Such cable cuts are extremely rare but when they happen, they take weeks to repair.

“Like most mobile network service providers, TNM Plc was affected by these cuts as we depend on the upstream bulk sea cable carriers to connect and host internet subscribers on our network platform.”

Hebert — flanked by Chief Technical Officer Lloyd Gowera and Marketing Director, Sobhuza Ngwenya announced that the Malawi Stock Exchange-listed company has invested about K4 billion to acquire additional fibre cable routes. 

He said the additional three routes it has acquired are designed to provide resilience to the TNM internet in the event of future similar incidences in the future.

“Following the recent cable cuts, only one access point, the Mchinji-Chipata link via Zambia was available to TNM,” he said. “This was not adequate to handle all the demand from customers — resulting in congestion leading to the slow and intermittent experience.”

On his part, Gowera said the recent frequent undersea-cable cuts are beyond TNM’s control — however, the company has taken appropriate swift remedies to protect internet services for customers in the long term. 

“TNM has assumed the responsibility and rushed to invest in new capacity,” he said. “The additional links have been acquired through our cooperation with partners like Telecom Namibia through Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) via Mchinji/Chipata border; TMCel Mozambique through Muloza/Milanje border, and MTN Zambia connecting into Malawi through Mchinji/Chipata border,” he said.

Gowera thanked the telco’s engineers and other operations teams for rising to the occasion in responding to the crisis — saying: “Our technical team responded to the internet outage emergency in a record time, and working in rough and challenging conditions.

“Similar brevity was experienced during the Cyclone Freddy disaster in March 2023 when our engineers risked their lives to keep the TNM network running.”

In his contribution, Sobhuza Ngwenya, who was recently appointed as marketing director, said TNM has extended the validity period for internet data bundles bought during the period of intermittent service — and in addition, TNM will dish out free data bundles to customers based on their usage.

“TNM assures its customers that out of an emergency, we have built a more resilient and less-latent internet network that will guarantee the best internet service experience and value for money offer in Malawi,” he said.

Meanwhile, TNM Plc was honoured with the prestigious Best Internet Connectivity Award at the 2024 ICTAM Corporate Awards — in recognition of how telco is committed to being innovative and excellent in the ICT sector.

On its official Facebook page after receiving the award, the company said: “Recognized for our exceptional achievements and contributions, we continue to lead the change in driving technological advancements and fostering digital transformation.

“This recognition also reaffirms our position as a trailblazer in delivering seamless internet connectivity and empowering individuals and businesses alike in the digital age.