KUWAIT: Three Internet cables were severed due to roadworks yesterday.

KUWAIT: Internet services in Kuwait were subjected to a severe slowdown yesterday after three cables were severed as a result of road development works in Umm Al-Haiman, Nuwaiseeb, Zour, Jahra and Salmi, which led to the disruption of nearly 60 percent of the country’s Internet services. The Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA) said emergency teams from the authority’s international connections department were present at the sites.

Director of the International Connections Department Jamal Sadiq told KUNA that there is joint coordination between the emergency teams, ministry of services and approved contractors to repair the cables as soon as possible. Late yesterday, the authority announced all the cables had been repaired.

Head of CITRA’s communication sector Fahad Al-Fahad confirmed in a statement to KUNA that the authority seeks to reform Internet connectivity. A new local cable system will help avoid cuts in the future and reduce pressure on the Internet during peak hours, he added. CITRA, established in 2014, is responsible for overseeing the telecommunications sector, monitoring and protecting the interests of users and service providers and regulating the services of telecommunication networks in the country. — KUNA