How geography and risks affect the internet in Liberia

One Marine Cable: What Keeps Liberia Connected

Liberia is connected to the global internet through a single submarine cable - Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), commissioned in 2012. The cable is 17,000 km long and connects West African countries with Europe. The only point where the ACE cable comes ashore in Liberia is located in Monrovia, the capital city. This makes Liberia extremely vulnerable in terms of internet connectivity: in our resilience index for countries, it scores 25 out of 100 and falls into the "land-based channels" class: there is only one maritime route, and we do not measure or count land crossings to neighboring countries. Any damage or outage of the ACE cable could completely cut Liberia off from the global network.

Regulation and Censorship: General Contexts

GeoCables does not conduct direct measurements of internet traffic censorship in Liberia as there are no technical observation points in the country. However, it is known that in countries with limited infrastructure and a single international connection, control over the internet can be easier for authorities to implement. In Liberia, like in other regional states, internet access remains limited primarily due to economic and technical factors, rather than targeted censorship. Nonetheless, such conditions create potential prerequisites for centralized network control.

Conflict and Events: Stability with Reservations

Liberia has remained relatively stable from a security standpoint in recent years, which positively reflects on the state of internet infrastructure. However, historically, the country has experienced prolonged periods of civil conflict, negatively impacting the development of infrastructure, including telecommunications. In crisis or unstable conditions, the single submarine cable ACE could be at risk, exacerbating the situation for information access and communications.

Checkpoints and Risks: Monrovia as a Vulnerability Point

The main checkpoint for Liberia is the ACE cable exit in Monrovia. In case of cable breakage, equipment damage, or other incidents, the country would be completely cut off from the internet. This creates significant risks both for the economy and communications. Neighboring countries such as Côte d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone are also connected to the ACE cable, making them potential transit nodes for restoring connectivity in Liberia in case of an accident. However, this would require considerable time and technical resources in practice.

What GeoCables Monitors

GeoCables monitors the ACE cable, tracking its functionality and possible failures. This allows us to promptly record anomalies that may affect internet access in Liberia. Since the country relies on a single cable, any changes in its condition have critical significance. Our platform continues to monitor cable infrastructure in the region to ensure transparency and timely response to potential incidents.