Gulf | Qatar

10 days needed 'to fix undersea cable'

Technicians will need at least 10 more days to fix an undersea cable which was cut on Friday morning that partially disrupted internet services in Qatar, an official said.

  • By Barbara Bibbo', Correspondent
  • Published: 21:03 February 4, 2008
  • Gulf News

Doha: Technicians will need at least 10 more days to fix an undersea cable which was cut on Friday morning that partially disrupted internet services in Qatar, an official said.

Adel Al Mutawa, Qtel Executive Director of Group Communications, said the cut in the undersea cable hit only minimally the internet usage in the country, which is supplied by alternative routes.

"We are fixing the cable, technicians are at work and we forecast that 10 days will be needed to repair the damage," Al Mutawa told Gulf News.

Al Mutawa said cable cuts are very common and for this reason Qtel has diversified its connectivity routes to minimise the impact on internet users.

"Since these incidents occur normally, Qtel has put in place a system of alternative routes." Local customers confirmed the impact on the service across Qatar was minimal.

Al Mutawa said the cut occurred at 8am on Friday morning between the Qatari island of Haloul and the UAE island of Das.

The incident was the third in a series of breaks causing phone line disruptions across the region. Two other undersea cables were earlier damaged in the Mediterranean Sea hampering businesses and private usage, agencies had reported.

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