Breaking: MTN Suffers Network Outage Due To Fibre Cuts

Ikenna ChurchillFebruary 28, 20241 Mins read1.2k

MTN Nigeria’s customers are facing challenges in making calls and using data services due to prolonged network downtime.

The telecom operator attributed the issue to multiple fibre cuts and assured customers that engineers were working to restore normal services.

Coinciding with the NIN deadline set by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), subscribers are concerned about potential line deactivations. However, MTN clarified that the outage is due to fibre cuts affecting voice and data services nationwide since Wednesday afternoon.

Fibre cuts are a common cause of poor telecom services in Nigeria, often occurring during road construction or deliberate acts of vandalism. The NCC reported significant spending on fixing over 59,000 fibre cuts between 2022 and 2023.

Regarding the NIN-SIM linkage, the NCC directive mandated full network barring for lines not linked with NIN by February 28, 2024. Unverified NIN submissions will also face full barring, with verification required before lines can be unbarred.

Subscribers must ensure NIN submission and verification to avoid service disruptions and comply with regulatory requirements. MTN urged patience from affected customers as efforts were made to resolve the network outage promptly.