List of terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Africa

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This is a list of terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Africa. While submarine communications cables are used to connect countries and continents to the Internet, terrestrial fibre optic cables are used to extend this connectivity to landlocked countries or to urban centers within a country that has submarine cable access. In most of the world, a large number of such cables exist, often amounting to robust Internet backbones. The lack of such high-speed cables poses a great problem for most African countries. The construction of both submarine cables and their terrestrial extensions is thus considered an important step to economic growth and development to many African countries.

Countries[edit]

Algeria[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Algérie Télécom 2011 About 200,000 km (120,000 mi) of fiber optic cables had been deployed as of December 31, 2021. [1][2][3]

Angola[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Africell 2022 [4][5]
Angola Telecom 1996 [6][7]
Unitel 2014 [8]
Zap Fibra 2017 [9]

Benin[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Benin Telecoms 2016 [10][11]
Liquid Telecom 2018 [12]
Phase3 Telecom 2009 [13]
Suburban Telecoms 2007 [14]

Botswana[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Botswana Fibre Networks 2012 Completed the Trans-Kalahari Fibre Optic Project in 2008. [15][16]
Mascom 2013 In 2018, Mascom announced they would be laying Botswana's "first fibre-to-the-home service." [17]
Paratus Botswana [18]

Burkina Faso[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Bharti Airtel [19]
Group Vivendi Africa 2021 [20][21]
Onatel 2020 State-run [21]
Orange S.A. 2021 [19][21][22][23]

Burundi[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Burundi Backbone Service Burundi launched an ICT backbone in 2016. [24]
Viettel/Lumitel
ONATEL Website content offline as of 5/24/2018
SEACOM [25]

Cameroon[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
MTN Group [26][27]
Camtel State-owned [28][29][30]

Chad[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Camtel 2012 [31][32]
SudaChad [32][33]
Sudatel [32]

Cote d'Ivoire[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Cote d'Ivoire Telecom
MTN Group Cote d'Ivoire [34]
National Agency for Universal Service Telecommunications 2013 In 2013, Huawei began building a 6,700 km national fibre network on behalf of the government. [35][36]
Orange S.A. Cote d'Ivoire [34][22][23]

Democratic Republic of Congo[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Liquid Telecom [37]
Paratus Group 2022 [38]

Djibouti[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Djibouti Telecom 2007 Government-run [39]
SEACOM [25]

Egypt[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Sudatel [40]
Telecom Egypt [40]

eSwatini[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
MTN Group eSwatini [41]
Paratus [41]
Telecom [41]

Ethiopia[edit]

See also: Telecommunications in Ethiopia
Operator Started Notes Ref
Ethio telecom [42]

Gambia[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Gamtel 2010

Ghana[edit]

See also: Telecommunications in Ghana
Operator Started Notes Ref
AirtelTigo 2017 Merger of Tigo and Bharti Airtel
Expresso Telecom Ghana
MTN Ghana
National Communications Backbone Company NCBC is a subsidiary of Vodafone Ghana.
Orange S.A. [22][23]
Tigo Merged with Bharti Airtel in 2017 to become AirtelTigo.

Guinea[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Orange S.A. [22][23]

Kenya[edit]

See also: Telecommunications in Kenya
Operator Started Notes Ref
AccessKenya Group
Airtel Kenya
Jamii Telecom
Kenya Data Networks
Kenya Power
National Optical Fibre Backbone Infrastructure
Safaricom
SEACOM [25]
Telkom Kenya [43]

Liberia[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Orange S.A. [22][23]

Madagascar[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Telecom Malagasy (Telma)

Malawi[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Malawi Telecommunications MTL appears to have completed its domestic fibre optic network in early 2012. [44]
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi

Mali[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Gouvernement du Mali In 2011, the Malian government announced a 942 km fibre optic cable project linking Bamako-Gao-Kidal-Tin-Zaoutière to the Algerian border and Gap-Ansongo-Labezanga to the border of Niger. The project was funded by a $45 million loan from the Exim Bank of China. [45]
Orange S.A. [46][22][23]
Sotelma/Malitel [47]

Mauritania[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Mauritel In May 2011, Mauritel launched a fiber optic cable project linking the towns of Nouakchott and Kobonni. [48][49]

Morocco[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Maroc Telecom 60% of regional fibre network completed in 2010. [50]

Mozambique[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Telecomunicações de Moçambique

Namibia[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
NamPower
Paratus Africa Various fiber projects deployed since 2011. Full FTTx deployment in various towns. Cross-country backhaul fiber from WACS (West Africa Cable Landing Station) through Namibia connecting various land-locked countries around Namibia.[citation needed]
Telecom Namibia [51]

Niger[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
SONITEL

Nigeria[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
21st Century Technology
Globacom [52][53]
MTN Group Nigeria
Multi-Links Purchased by Helios in 2011; at this time, Multi-Links had a terrestrial fibre optic network spanning 8,232 km in Nigeria. [54][55][56]
NITEL
Orange S.A. [23]
Phase3 Telecom In 2011, Phase3 were building the West Africa One network, an aerial optic fibre transmission system which runs from Nigeria to Benin and Togo. [57][58]
Suburban Telecoms

Rwanda[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Green Future 2009 [59]
MTN Group Rwanda
Rwanda Development Board The physical deployment of the RDB's network was completed in January 2011. [60][61]
Rwandatel
SEACOM Partnered with KT Corporation [25]

Senegal[edit]

See also: Telecommunications in Senegal
Operator Started Notes Ref
Orange S.A. [23]
Sonatel [62]

Somalia[edit]

See also: Communications in Somalia
Operator Started Notes Ref
Hormuud Telecom/Liquid Telecom 2013 [63]
SEACOM [25]
SomCable Licensed with 25 years of exclusivity for Metro and Backbone fiber optic infrastructure building.[citation needed]

South Africa[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Broadband Infraco Broadband Infraco is a South African State Owned Entity (SOE) that is intended to participate in those segments of the telecommunications market and value chain that impede private sector development and innovation in telecoms services and content offerings. Broadband Infraco maintains a national long distance fibre optic network, providing high capacity telecommunication services between all major national metropolitan centres and being expanded to enable connectivity to reach smaller cities and rural areas. [64]
BWired Announced in August 2011, BWired invested $600 million in regional fibre infrastructure. [65]
Dark Fibre Africa Community Investment Ventures (CIV) and VenFin are the principal shareholders in DFA. ABSA Capital, who are a stakeholder in CIV via New GX Capital Holdings, also backs CIV. Shareholders in Dark Fibre Africa have granted the necessary approvals to adequately capitalize the company for the construction of a nationwide Dark Fibre Infrastructure. This funding exceeded R2Bn by 2013. [66]
Fibreco 2012 Established in 2009 as an equal partnership between CellC, Internet Solutions and Convergence Partners. [67][68]
Neotel
NLD Consortium A consortium made up of Neotel, MTN Group, and Vodacom deployed a national fibre network in South Africa in 2012. [69]
Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa In 2013, PRASA announced plans to lease excess fibre capacity. [70]
Telkom Telkom is the dominant operator and has the largest fibre network in South Africa, covering approximately 143,000 km as per the 2011 annual report. [71][72]

South Sudan[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
South Sudanese Government 2013 [73]
SEACOM [25]

Sudan[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Sudatel [33]

Tanzania[edit]

See also: Telecommunications in Tanzania
Operator Started Notes Ref
Consortium A consortium of TIGO, Zantel, Vodacom, and Airtel.
CTV Fiber to the building, mainly in Dar es Salaam.[citation needed]
National Information & Communication Technology Broadband Backbone (NICTBB) 2010 Funded by a soft loan from the Chinese government, the NICTBB is being built by the Tanzanian government and will be operated by the Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation [74][75]
Raha/Liquid Telecom Metro fiber - Dar es Salaam.[citation needed]
SEACOM [25]
SimbaNET Metro fiber - Dar es Salaam.[citation needed]
TANESCO

Togo[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Phase3 Telecom 2009 [13]
Togo Telecom [76]

Uganda[edit]

See also: Communications in Uganda
Operator Started Notes Ref
Ministry of Information and Communications Technology/National Information Technology Authority-Uganda
SEACOM 2009 [25][77]
Uganda Telecom

Zambia[edit]

See also: Telecommunications in Zambia
Operator Started Notes Ref
Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) 2008 [78][79]
Zambia Telecommunications [78]
ZESCO [80]

Zimbabwe[edit]

Operator Started Notes Ref
Africom
Dark Fibre Africa 2019 [81][82]
Liquid Telecom [83]
Powertel
Telecel Zimbabwe 2014 [84]
TelOne 2010 Built with Chinese workers via Huawei. [85]

Notes[edit]

This list was initially developed as part of AfTerFibre,[86] a project to map terrestrial fibre optic cable projects in Africa. The project was sponsored by Google Africa and, on completion, will be hosted by the UbuntuNet Alliance. All information gathered by the project will be publicly available under an open license.[citation needed]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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  2. ^ Song, Steve (2013-09-09). "Algeria Telecom Fibre Network". Flickr. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  3. ^ Boudjedri, Mounia (March 11, 2022). "Haut débit : près de 200.000 km de câble en fibre optique déployés en Algérie à fin 2021". Algeria Press Service (in French). Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
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  26. ^ Barton, James (2022-05-02). "Cameroon to connect fibre optic network with Central African Republic". Developing Telecoms. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
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  29. ^ "Cameroon Assesses CAB Project". Balancing Act / Cameroon Tribune. 12 August 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
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  31. ^ "Camtel will install the Chadian fibre optic network". Business in Cameroon. 20 March 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
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  34. ^ Knutsen, Elise (20 July 2013). "Ivory Coast fibre optic network to boost growth - minister". Reuters. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  35. ^ "New fibre-optic cable links up Cote d'Ivoire". Oxford Business GROUP. 2017-03-02. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  36. ^ "Liquid Telecom Lays Fibre To The DRC And Connects DRC Mobile Operator To Southern African Regional Fibre Network And To WACS". Liquid Telecom Press Release. 13 November 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
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  38. ^ Qiu, Winston (2020-03-11). "Renovation of the Djibouti-Ethiopia Digital Corridor". Submarine Networks. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
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  40. ^ a b c Barton, James (2022-04-08). "Improved internet connectivity in Eswatini sees steady growth in broadband subscribers". Developing Telecoms. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
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  43. ^ "MTL's USD55m project successful". Biztech Africa. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
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  47. ^ "Launch of fiber-optic cable project in Mauritania". The Infrastructure Consortium for Africa. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
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  51. ^ Song, Steve (2013-07-25). "Nigeria: Glo1 Fibre Backbone". Flickr. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
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  61. ^ Song, Steve (2012-06-20). "Senegal - Sonatel". Flickr. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  62. ^ "Somalia gets first fibre optic link to the world". Yahoo. 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
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  65. ^ "About Dark Fibre Africa". Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  66. ^ Song, Steve (2012-03-02). "South Africa - Fibreco". Flickr. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  67. ^ "FibreCo Telecommunications Deploys Corning Optical Fiber for its Next- Generation Network in South Africa". Corning. 2012-06-26. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  68. ^ Staff Writer (2 July 2012). "First phase of MTN national fibre network live". MyBroadband. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  69. ^ Nyambura-Mwaura, Helen (30 October 2013). "South Africa's PRASA to lease excess fibre optic capacity". Reuters. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  70. ^ "Telkom aims to improve perceptions". Business Report. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  71. ^ Song, Steve (2012-01-31). "South Africa - Telkom National Fibre Network". Flickr. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  72. ^ "South Sudan plans connection to east Africa's subsea cables". Capacity Media. 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  73. ^ Mutarubukwa, Al-Amani (27 May 2010). "Tanzania: First Phase of ICT Broadband Backbone is Activated Nationwide". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
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  75. ^ Song, Steve (2012-06-10). "togo". Flickr. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  76. ^ "Uganda gets fibre optic cable". New Vision. 2009-07-25. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  77. ^ a b Malakata, Michael (2008-05-25). "Zambian operators complete fiber network". Network World. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  78. ^ Mulozi, Dean L. (2008). "Rural Access: Options and Challenges for Connectivity and Energy in Zambia" (PDF). International Institute for Communication and Development. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  79. ^ Malakata, Michael (2008-04-15). "Zesco to complete Zambia fiber backbone". Network World. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  80. ^ "Dark Fibre Africa expands to Zimbabwe". Comms Update. 2019-03-05. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  81. ^ "Dark Fibre Africa gets Zimbabwe licence". Comms Update. 2020-05-06. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  82. ^ Song, Steve (2011-07-14). "Zimbabwe - Liquid Telecoms". Flickr. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  83. ^ "Telecel begins nationwide fibre deployment". Comms Update. 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  84. ^ "TelOne fibre deal in doubt, while NetOne pushes ahead with expansion". Comms Update. 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
  85. ^ Song, Steve (2011-06-29). "AfTerFibre - Mapping Terrestrial Fibre Optic Cable Project in Africa". ManyPossibilities.net. Retrieved 12 August 2011.

External links[edit]

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