Unauthorized Parties Destroy Metro Cable Infrastructure

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
METRO CABLE SERVICE DISRUPTION DUE TO FIBER OPTIC CABLE DAMAGE
Freetown, Sierra Leone — 29th July 2025
Metro Cable SL Ltd, Sierra Leone’s leading open-access Fibre-to-the-Home infrastructure provider, deeply regrets to inform the public of a significant service disruption caused by an incident on July 29, 2025, near the United States Embassy in Freetown.
Unauthorized third-party activities involving mechanical tools resulted in the cutting of our critical fibre optic cable infrastructure. This incident has caused disruptions to our services, impacting the quality of service (QoS) for our customers and affecting several of our sites across Freetown.
As a cornerstone of Sierra Leone’s digital infrastructure, Metro Cable is committed to delivering reliable, high-speed connectivity to homes, businesses, and communities. The damage to our fiber optic network has led to service interruptions, affecting the seamless connectivity our customers rely on. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and are taking swift action to address this issue.
Actions to Address the Incident and Prevent Future Disruptions
Metro Cable is taking immediate and proactive steps to restore services and safeguard our infrastructure:
Rapid Restoration Efforts: Our technical teams are working tirelessly to repair the damaged fiber optic cable, aiming to restore full connectivity as quickly as possible.
Collaboration with Authorities: We have formally escalated the matter to the National Communications Authority (NATCA) and are working closely with law enforcement to investigate this suspected act of vandalism and ensure accountability.
Enhanced Infrastructure Protection: Metro Cable is implementing advanced monitoring systems and security measures to protect our fibre optic network from future incidents.
Customer Support: Our dedicated support team is available 24/7 to assist affected clients.
Our Commitment to Connectivity
Metro Cable remains steadfast in its mission to bridge the digital divide and deliver world-class telecommunications services across Sierra Leone. This incident underscores the importance of protecting critical infrastructure to maintain the high-quality connectivity that drives economic growth, education, and social development. We are fully committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure the resilience and security of our network.
About Metro Cable:
Metro Cable has completed Phase 2 deployment of over 1,400km of FTTx fiber broadband network covering over 90% of Freetown Urban and Rural communities.
This has positioned the infrastructure as the first and largest open access FTTx network in the country with an available Optical Line Terminal capacity of +360G (Scalable to +TB).
Following the deployment of our FTTx open access infrastructure, we have integrated 16+ registered partners (ISPs) who are currently delivering fiber broadband to over 8,000+ homes for the first time.
For more information, visit www.metrocable.io