Faulty Claims, Hidden Motives: The PHP Park Fiber Optic Saga

IN PHOTO: ongoing scene at the PHP Park

Ongoing digging of PHP Park in Monrovia has sparked controversy. The Boakai administration justified the action by claiming that rocks from the park’s construction damaged Liberia’s only fiber optic link, the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable. This explanation has been met with skepticism, especially given the $200,000 "repair" cost and the park’s connection to former President George Weah’s legacy projects.

Technical Doubts

Experts in fiber optics argue that such cables are engineered to withstand significant impacts far greater than those from landscaping rubble. These cables are built to global specifications, buried in reinforced ducts, and protected by warning mesh, concrete slabs, or directional boring—standard practices worldwide[6][7]. Despite these robust protections, the government has provided no damage reports, technical breakdowns, or documentation to support its claims[13][14]. This lack of evidence raises questions about the legitimacy of the cable damage narrative.

Possible Political Motivations?

Critics view the digging as part of a broader effort to dismantle symbols of the previous administration under the guise of maintenance. PHP Park, though modest, depicts urban renewal and dignity[12][16]. Its erasure, blamed on alleged damage to a buried fiber optic cable, lacks the technical rationale one would expect in such a scenario. This pattern suggests that political considerations may be driving these actions rather than genuine infrastructure concerns[16].

Engineering Standards

Globally, fiber optic cables are deployed beneath roads, buildings, and public parks—often under more extreme conditions than those at PHP Park. These systems are designed with durability in mind, built to standards like ITU-T G.652/G.655, and protected with robust infrastructure meant to resist impacts far greater than park renovations or landscaping boulders[6][7]. Examples from Kenya’s National Optical Fibre Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI) and South Africa’s Broadband Infraco demonstrate successful fiber deployments in challenging environments without incidents related to civil projects[1][2].

International Comparisons

In developed nations like Germany, Singapore, and the U.S., fiber infrastructure lies beneath dense urban environments, yet catastrophic incidents of this nature are unheard of. This raises questions about why a relatively low-impact space like PHP Park would threaten national internet infrastructure. The short answer is that it shouldn’t—and it likely didn’t[1][6]. The lack of evidence supporting the government’s claims further erodes confidence in their narrative[13][14].

Lack of Transparency

To date, there has been no reported independent engineering assessment, OTDR test results, excavation or site damage report, contractor audit, or cable route schematic made public[13][14]. In professional fiber repair, these steps are non-negotiable for accountability and operational integrity[7]. The absence of such documentation suggests that the incident may be more of a manufactured crisis than an actual failure.

Financial and Ethical Concerns

The $200,000 repair cost alone invites suspicion. A full fiber restoration would involve detailed procedures like cable fault localization with OTDR, excavation or directional drilling, deployment of new armored cable and splice enclosures, and full-spectrum testing[6][7]. Without any paper trail or confirmation of these actions, the incident reads more like a misuse of public funds than a genuine repair effort[14]. The rushed nature of the demolition and lack of oversight hint at procurement irregularities or outright fraud[16].

The "PHP Cable Crisis" demands more than a press release—it requires a public, independent technical investigation. Liberia deserves transparency and accountability in its infrastructure management. This includes an engineering audit of the alleged damage, a repair's forensic cost breakdown, a published ACE cable route schematic, and protective policies to depoliticize infrastructure decisions[13][14]. Anything less is an insult to taxpayers and a threat to Liberia’s digital future. Leadership must choose between building on what works or destroying what it didn’t create, but either way, the truth must come first.

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Additional Sources:

[14] https://allafrica.com/stories/202504040407.html

[15] https://allafrica.com/stories/202504030230.html

[16] https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-governments-rerouting-internet-cable-at-php-park-sparks-mixed-reactions/

[17] https://www.rdm.com/blog/how-to-protect-your-fiber-optic-networks/

[18] https://subtelforum.com/liberia-works-to-repair-undersea-internet-cable/

[19] https://cyrilla.org/entity/paw2r7ayz0f?page=2&file=15986325932628ozax1p5al9.pdf&raw=true

[20] https://ictpolicyafrica.org/es/document/uqsrjml1gw8?page=8

[21] https://rura.rw/fileadmin/Documents/Publication/laws/GUIDELINES_for_Fiber_and_Duct_Sharing_v12.pdf

[22] https://www.dataworldsystems.co.ke/101-guidelines-for-fiber-optic-cable-installation/

[23] https://www.hellermanntyton.com/products/protective-tubing-and-spiral-binding/hwpe2/161-50060

[24] https://cyrilla.org/entity/paw2r7ayz0f?page=10&file=15986325932628ozax1p5al9.pdf&raw=true

[25] https://www.ca.go.ke/sites/default/files/2023-06/Guidelines-for-supply-installation-and-maintenance-of-External-Communication-Infrastructure-1.pdf

[26] https://www.defenceweb.co.za/security/border-security/fiber-guard-receives-first-south-african-order/

[27] https://rura.rw/index.php?id=51&oreawe67tdyfc=yes&tx_news_pi1%5B%40widget_0%5D%5BcurrentPage%5D=4&cHash=16e6b1866c8cafa6b292fa85ed1a7a3e

[28] https://www.dataworldsystems.co.ke/fiber-optic-cabling-installation-best-practices-guide/

[29] https://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/1pstandards/OSP%20Civil%20Works%20Guide-FOA.pdf

[30] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/eng2.12121

[31] https://cptechmall.com/blog/what-does-one-need-to-set-up-a-fiber-optic-network-in-kenya

[32] https://www.cfsafrica.com/static-fibre-optic-solutions/

[33] https://fibregeeks.co.za/how-fibre-is-installed-in-south-africa-a-guide/

[34] https://www.nema.go.ke/images/Docs/EIA_1850-1859/ESIA_1855%20TELKOM%20PEACE%20SUBMARINE%20CABLE_SR%202211-min.pdf

[35] https://www.treatedpoles.co.za/blog/why-install-fibre-overground

[36] https://nextbillion.net/installing-wireless-internet-in-rwanda/

[37] https://voacom.net/Projects

[38] https://www.etenders.gov.za/home/Download/?blobName=aa7ddfa2-3e4d-40d7-86fc-38530ccdbc28.pdf&downloadedFileName=NRS+088-2+published.pdf

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