Published: May 5, 2025
MONROVIA – Orange Liberia has restored nationwide internet service after rerouting the damaged Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) fiber-optic cable, a major fix that strengthens Liberia’s digital infrastructure and helps prevent future blackouts.
The company celebrated the achievement Friday at its headquarters in Sinkor, Monrovia, under the theme, “We Talk Ayy, We Do Ayy”.
The milestone followed five days of intensive technical work to repair a severed section of the ACE cable beneath a monument at PHP Park. The break had disrupted service and posed a threat to Liberia’s only international internet gateway.
Monument Blamed for Cable Damage
Henry W. Benson, CEO and board chairman of the Cable Consortium of Liberia (CCL), said during an earlier inspection on April 2 that the damage resulted from the construction of a monument directly over the cable. He said the project went forward under the previous administration despite multiple warnings not to build over sensitive telecommunications infrastructure.
According to Benson, a team from the international ACE consortium arrived by ship on April 22 and began rerouting work that caused brief internet disruptions between April 23 and 28. The repair cost is estimated at $200,000.
Orange CTO: “A Matter of Urgency”
Speaking at the event, Orange Liberia’s Chief Technology Officer Greg Cardoza called the successful reroute a “remarkable achievement” for the country.
“We knew we had to act with urgency,” he said. “This was about more than fixing a cable—it was about protecting national connectivity.”
Cardoza said the rerouting effort stemmed from a broader initiative launched two to three years ago under Orange’s leadership to build independent fiber routes and reduce reliance on a single point of failure.
“When no other mobile network operators stepped forward, Orange made the decision to invest independently in a redundant fiber network,” he said.
Cardoza referenced the 2024 nationwide internet outage caused by a separate fiber cut and said the company later secured emergency approval from the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) to establish cross-border internet links—an effort that helped stabilize the sector and support other providers.
“When the LTA and CCL called us earlier this year to take the lead in resolving the ACE cable crisis, we responded without hesitation,” Cardoza said. “Our teams faced fires, road accidents, and multiple fiber cuts, but we deployed monitoring crews from Monrovia to Loaggato every day to protect the lines.”
He added that Orange’s role as a shareholder in CCL reinforces its commitment to national infrastructure and digital growth.
Orange CEO: “A Win for Liberia”
Orange Liberia CEO Jean Marius Yao commended the team for its performance under pressure and pledged ongoing investment in national infrastructure.
“Throughout the rerouting process, we maintained throughput and ensured internet availability across the country,” Yao said. “This is not just a success for Orange—it’s a win for Liberia.”
CCL Boss Praises Orange’s Leadership
Benson returned to the podium to express appreciation for Orange’s response, saying he had initially doubted the project’s feasibility.
“To be honest, I wasn’t sure we could pull this off,” he said. “But Greg [Cardoza] gave me confidence. He even talked about working with competitors just to keep Liberia online.”
Benson praised Orange for stepping up when it mattered most.
“You could have said no, but you didn’t,” he said. “The entire country was riding on your network, and I didn’t experience a single failure. Thank you for standing firm.”
He also acknowledged the support of LTA, LoneStar Cell MTN, and the ACE team in navigating the crisis.
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