Liberia Begins Rerouting of Fiber-Optic Cable at PHP Beach

April 3, 2025

Liberia’s only fiber-optic lifeline is getting a new route. The Government of Liberia, through the
Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), LIBTELCO, and the Cable Consortium of
Liberia (CCL), has officially begun the rerouting of the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE)
submarine cable—the backbone of the nation’s internet connectivity.

The ACE cable, which first landed in Liberia in 2011 at PHP Beach, is being rerouted because
the newly built PHP Park monument now sits directly on its landing point. This unexpected
development has made the cable inaccessible for essential repair and maintenance work.

During a walk-through of the site, Henry Benson, CEO of CCL, expressed concern over how
the situation came about:
“We did write a letter, we pushed, but our resistance to this whole infrastructure was ignored,
unfortunately,” he said, noting that CCL had earlier warned against building on the landing
point.

Benson further explained that the rerouting process carries significant financial and technical
challenges, but is unavoidable to secure the country’s internet future.

To ease public concern, LTA Acting Commissioner Clarence K. Massaquoi assured citizens
that there will be no total internet blackout during the rerouting and repairs:
“Liberians should not panic—we have contingency plans in place to ensure connectivity
continues.”

Technical experts have already begun work to carve out a new pathway, one that guarantees
long-term accessibility and avoids future obstructions. In addition, a specialized repair ship
carrying technicians is expected to dock in Liberia on April 22, to begin the critical repair
operations.

With the rerouting underway, stakeholders remain confident that Liberia’s digital infrastructure
will emerge more resilient, ensuring reliable connectivity for years to come.