It will take another 10 days before Internet connectivity between India and Africa is restored, as complicated repairs on the Seacom undersea cable linking the two countries is taking longer than anticipated.

Seacom had earlier announced that the breakdown last Monday would be repaired within a week.

However, Seacom now says there will be a further delay due to factors outside its control, Afrikaans daily Beeld reported on Monday.

These included the location of the fault at a depth of 4,700 metres below sea level, weather conditions and the non-availability of spare parts needed for the operation.

A highly specialised ship and technical team will undertake the repair.

Clients of Internet service providers who depend exclusively on the Seacom cable have only been able to get access to services in Africa since the breakdown, but others have made alternative arrangements with other bandwidth providers.

Seacom said it was assisting its clients in finding alternative solutions while the repair is undertaken.

The Seacom cable connects Mumbai with the East Coast of Africa and Europe.