Tech

Cut to undersea cable causes internet disruptions across East, Southern Africa

Published

7 months ago

May 13, 2024

Internet services across East and Southern Africa have suffered outages following undersea submarine cable cuts on Sunday.

According to the Group CTIO at Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Ben Roberts, in a post on X on Monday, the faults have been reported in the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy) and the Seacom cables.

Though details of the fibre cut are still unclear, Roberts said three crucial submarine cables in the Red Sea, the Seacom, EIG, and AAE1, suffered cuts and remain unrepaired, leading to the widespread outage.

“We have experienced an outage on one of the undersea cables that deliver internet traffic in and out of the country,” Roberts said.

“We have since activated redundancy measures to minimise service interruption and keep you connected as we await the full restoration of the cable. You may, however, experience reduced internet speeds,” he added.

Four of the nine subsea cables that connect countries like South Africa to the rest of the world were reported as damaged due to incidents on either side of the continent.

In Kenya, this latest outage seems to have affected service providers like Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom Kenya. Safaricom said has since activated redundancy measures to minimise service interruption and keep users connected, according to reports.

Other East African countries affected by the cut are Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, and Rwanda.

This is the second time Africa has experienced a major fibre cut this year. In March, a suspected underwater rock slid off the coast of Cote d’Ivoire resulting in several submarine cables being offline which affected over 13 West African countries with greater impacts felt in Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal.

The affected cables included Africa Coast to Europe (ACE),
SAT-3 – Submarine Atlantic 3/West Africa Submarine Cable, WACS – West Africa Cable System and MainOne.

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Tech

Kenya’s ticketing startup BuuPass partners Flexpay for flexible travel payments

Published

2 days ago

December 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Kenyan digital ticketing startup, BuuPass, has entered into a partnership with goal-based savings platform, Flexpay, to offer customers flexible payment plans ahead of holiday travels as well as simplify travel planning and ease the financial burden of holiday travel for Kenyans.

Co-founder and CEO at Buupass, Sonia Kabra, who unveiled the package at a press conference, said the collaboration between the two platforms will allow travellers to save for their journeys in manageable, interest-free installments over four to 12 weeks.

“Travelers can select their travel dates, book tickets, and pay a small deposit upfront, with the remaining balance spread across weekly or monthly payments,” she said.

“This approach offers a stress-free way for families and large groups to secure their tickets early, helping them avoid last-minute price hikes as fares are locked in.

“By partnering with Flexpay, we’re giving travelers the flexibility to budget for their trips in advance. This initiative aligns with our mission to make travel accessible to everyone, providing a solution that meets customers where they are financially,” said Kabra.

Also speaking at the event, Richard Machomba, CEO and founder of Flexpay, said:

“Flexpay’s mission is to empower individuals by providing accessible financial solutions that make it easier for them to achieve their financial goals.

“By partnering with BuuPass, we’re making travel more accessible and stress-free for Kenyans, especially during the holiday season when expenses can be overwhelming,” Machomba added.

Founded in 2016 by Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, BuuPass is a B2B2C mobility marketplace that enables users to search, compare, and book travel tickets via web, app, or USSD, while its SaaS platform helps bus operators manage their operations, inventory, and sales.

FlexPay, on the other hand, is an online and offline payment gateway that allows merchants to offer interest-free targeted savings to their customers in Africa.

Tech

DR Congo sues tech giant Apple over illegal mineral exploitation

Published

3 days ago

December 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has filed a criminal case against the European subsidiaries of tech giant, Apple, accusing them of illegal mineral exploitation and allegedly using “blood minerals” in its supply chain.

In the suit filed on Tuesday, the DRC alleges that Apple has bought contraband supplies from the country’s conflict-ladden east and Rwanda, zones in which it allege the materials are mined illegally and then integrated into global supply chains before ending up in tech devices.

The DRC suit specifically mentioned Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech giant of using conflict minerals in its supply chain.

The DRC is a major source of tin, tantalum, and tungsten which are used in electronic devices, with some mines controlled by armed groups responsible for human rights violations.

International lawyers representing the African country’s government have accused Apple’s local subsidiaries of taking these minerals from conflict areas and laundering them through international supply chains, with one lawyer telling journalists that Belgium had a moral duty to act given its history of exploiting the country’s resources under colonial rule.

However, in its response, Apple claims it conducts supplier audits and does not directly source primary minerals.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1262670-dr-congo-sues-apple-over-alleged-illegal-mineral-exploitation