Algerians will have to go without internet for the rest of the night as Algerie Telecom, the country’s telecommunications provider, upgrades its fibre optic networks.
The upgrades will take place from 6.30pm Algerian time till 6am on Friday including 3G networks and ADSL connections. News of the shutdown prompted user to start the hashtag #ATBlackout which is still trending in Algeria – until the internet is cut off.
The newly appointed Information Communication Technology Minister Imane Huda Feraoun had flagged earlier in the week that Algerie Telecom “needs to refocus its activity on the implementation of major infrastructure projects and quickly conduct ‘the digital transition’.”
Benour Hamid, spokesperson for the state owned Algerie Telecom, explained that Internet on smartphones would be cut from 6.30pm Thursday to 1am Friday and ADSL internet will be cut from 12am Friday to 6am Friday.
The confusion of when the exact cuts and which services will be affected prompted Algerie Telecom to issue an even more convoluted press release saying a few hours ago noting “there will not be any cuts from 6.30pm Thursday till Friday 7am”.
However it continues “customers are advised not to use their Internet recharge cards from 6pm Thursday until 6am Friday due to maintenance. Further there will be some disruptions to the internet service from 12am Friday until 7am Friday as new technology is implemented”.
The shutdown comes on the back of political upheavals in Algeria’s relatively guarded leadership. Speculation has been growing about the removal of long time ailing president Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Yesterday, his cabinet director Ahmed Ouyahia was elected party leader in the coalition government paving the way for talks of succession – which Twitter naturally picked up on.
Bouteflika’s grip on power has not wavered managing to curb the enthusiasm of the Arab Spring with heavy-handed tactics. Algeria has notoriously cracked down on freedom of speech to the extent of imprisoning a labor activist in March for a Facebook post. As the disruptions start to take place nationally, Algerians are still managing to tweet rapidly.