Ship's anchor cuts Internet access - East Africa access slows to a crawl

Ship's anchor cuts Internet access to six East African countries

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Internet speeds in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Sudan are expected to slow 20%. Photograph: Johann Helgason/Alamy

The old theory that a butterly flapping its wings can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world may be somewhat far-fetched. But that a ship dropping anchor can disrupt the lives of millions has become painfully evident.

That is what happened off the Kenyan coast when, by unlucky chance, an anchor scored a direct hit on an underwater fibre-optic cable.

The knock-on effect is a predicted 20% slowdown in internet speeds in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Sudan, the BBC reported.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/28/east-africa-internet-access-anchor