On Tuesday, April 29, the Togolese government announced possible temporary disruptions in access to the Internet and digital platforms of public services. This alert follows a major power outage that occurred in Europe, particularly in Portugal and Spain, which affected several data centers and critical infrastructures.
According to the official statement, this incident could have repercussions on Togo’s overall connectivity. Like many West African countries, Togo relies heavily on submarine cables for its Internet access, particularly the SAT-3, WACS (West Africa Cable System), and ACE (Africa Coast to Europe) systems. These essential infrastructures connect Africa to Europe and include landing points in countries affected by the outage, such as Lisbon and several Spanish cities.
The temporary deactivation of these key points disrupts the smooth flow of data transmission, which could directly impact Togolese digital networks. Aware of the stakes, the government has mobilized its technical teams to ensure, as far as possible, the continuity of digital services. This proactive response was praised by several civil society actors, including Internet Society Togo, which emphasized the importance of timely communication in times of crisis. According to the organization, such transparency helps maintain public and economic trust in the digital ecosystem.
In a context of growing dependence on international infrastructure, Internet Society Togo is calling for increased national resilience. It specifically recommends diversifying connection methods through the development of alternatives such as satellite links. To this end, it suggests introducing incentive policies, including low-cost licensing, to encourage the emergence of complementary solutions.
It should be noted that the outage in Europe caused major disruptions in the affected countries, leading to prolonged power cuts, internet outages, and mobile network failures for many users.
