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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.
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] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Africell | 2022 | [4] [5] | |
Angola Telecom | 1996 | [6] [7] | |
Unitel | 2014 | [8] | |
Zap Fibra | 2017 | [9] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Benin Telecoms | 2016 | [10] [11] | |
Liquid Telecom | 2018 | [12] | |
Phase3 Telecom | 2009 | [13] | |
Suburban Telecoms | 2007 | [14] |
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] |
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] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Burundi Backbone Service | Burundi launched an ICT backbone in 2016. | [24] | |
Viettel/Lumitel | |||
Onatel Burundi | Website content offline as of 5/24/2018 | ||
SEACOM | [25] | ||
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
MTN Group | [26] [27] | ||
Camtel | State-owned | [28] [29] [30] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Camtel | 2012 | [31] [32] | |
SudaChad | [32] [33] | ||
Sudatel | [32] |
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] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Liquid Telecom | [37] | ||
Paratus Group | 2022 | [38] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Djibouti Telecom | 2007 | Government-run | [39] |
SEACOM | [25] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Sudatel | [40] | ||
Telecom Egypt | [40] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
MTN Group eSwatini | [41] | ||
Paratus | [41] | ||
Telecom | [41] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Ethio telecom | [42] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Gamtel | 2010 |
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. |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Orange S.A. | [22] [23] |
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] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Orange S.A. | [22] [23] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Telecom Malagasy (Telma) |
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 |
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] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Mauritel | In May 2011, Mauritel launched a fiber optic cable project linking the towns of Nouakchott and Kobonni. | [48] [49] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Maroc Telecom | 60% of regional fibre network completed in 2010. | [50] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Telecomunicações de Moçambique |
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] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
SONITEL |
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 |
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] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Orange S.A. | [23] | ||
Sonatel | [62] |
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 ] |
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] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
South Sudanese Government | 2013 | [73] | |
SEACOM | [25] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Sudatel | [33] |
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 |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Phase3 Telecom | 2009 | [13] | |
Togo Telecom | [76] |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Ministry of Information and Communications Technology/National Information Technology Authority-Uganda | |||
SEACOM | 2009 | [25] [77] | |
Uganda Telecom |
Operator | Started | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) | 2008 | [78] [79] | |
Zambia Telecommunications | [78] | ||
ZESCO | [80] |
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] |
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 ]
Telecommunications in Burkina Faso include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.
Telecommunications in Cameroon include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.
Telecommunications in Gabon include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.
Telecommunications in Namibia include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.
Telecommunications in Tanzania include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet available in mainland Tanzania and the semiautonomous Zanzibar archipelago.
Telecommunications in Armenia involves the availability and use of electronic devices and services, such as the telephone, television, radio or computer, for the purpose of communication. The various telecommunications systems found and used in Armenia includes radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the internet.
SAT-3/WASC or South Atlantic 3/West Africa Submarine Cable is a submarine communications cable linking Portugal and Spain to South Africa, with connections to several West African countries along the route.
South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 is an optical fibre submarine communications cable system that carries telecommunications between Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Italy, Tunisia, Algeria and France.
The Internet in South Africa, one of the most technologically resourced countries on the African continent, is expanding. The internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) .za is managed and regulated by the .za Domain Name Authority (.ZADNA) and was granted to South Africa by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in 1990. Over 60% of Internet traffic generated on the African continent originates from South Africa. As of 2020, 41.5 million people were Internet users.
GO p.l.c. is a Maltese integrated telecommunications company. It is a quadruple play provider that offers local and long distance telephone services, wireless services, digital terrestrial television, DSL and Fiber to the home internet access. GO is based in Marsa, Malta.
Telecommunications in Guyana include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet. Early telecommunications were owned by large foreign firms until the industry was nationalized in the 1970s. Government stifled criticism with a tight control of the media, and the infrastructure lagged behind other countries, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) holding a monopoly on most such services. In a 2012 census report on Guyanese households, 55.5% had a radio, 82.7% had a television, 27.8% had a personal computer, and 16.2% had internet at home, 49.3% had a telephone landline, and 70.6% had a cellular phone.
Telecommunications in Angola include telephone, radio, television, and the Internet. The government controls all broadcast media with a nationwide reach.
Telecommunications in Ivory Coast include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.
The West Africa Cable System (WACS) is a submarine communications cable linking South Africa with the United Kingdom along the west coast of Africa that was constructed by Alcatel-Lucent. The cable consists of four fibre pairs and is 14,530 km in length, linking from Yzerfontein in the Western Cape of South Africa to London in the United Kingdom. It has 14 landing points, 12 along the western coast of Africa and 2 in Europe completed on land by a cable termination station in London. The total cost for the cable system is $650 million. WACS was originally known as the Africa West Coast Cable (AWCC) and was planned to branch to South America but this was dropped and the system eventually became the West African Cable System.
Broadband is a term normally considered to be synonymous with a high-speed connection to the internet. Suitability for certain applications, or technically a certain quality of service, is often assumed. For instance, low round trip delay would normally be assumed to be well under 150ms and suitable for Voice over IP, online gaming, financial trading especially arbitrage, virtual private networks and other latency-sensitive applications. This would rule out satellite Internet as inherently high-latency. In some applications, utility-grade reliability or security are often also assumed or defined as requirements. There is no single definition of broadband and official plans may refer to any or none of these criteria.
SAex is a proposed submarine communications cable linking South Africa to the United States with branches to Namibia, Saint Helena, and Brazil.
Angola Cables is an Angolan multinational telecommunications operator of fiber-optic telecommunication cables.
Phase 3 Telecom is an aerial fiber-optic network infrastructure provider, providing connectivity, network management, and data storage services to wholesale, enterprise, and retail customers across West Africa. The company was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria. Licensed by the Nigerian Communications Commission in 2006 - the company in 2014, 2018, and 2022, added more kilometers to its existing coverage area with footprint expansion of its backbone, enterprise network, and broadband services. Phase operates 6,000 kilometres (3,700 mi) and counting open-access aerial fiber-optic network. The company, for over two decades has been vital to growth in Africa's growing ICT market, implementing the Wire Nigeria Project—conceived by the Nigerian Communications Commission to help provide broadband communications access to rural communities. Phase 3 has a broad range of wholesale and enterprise clients including Glo, MTN, 9Mobile, Ntel, Airtel, Smile Communications, World Bank, Julius Berger, Unity Bank, etc. Some of the African countries where the company currently has partner operations include Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and the Republic of Niger.
West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC) operates as a wholesaler, providing capacity to international telecoms, cloud operators, content providers and internet service providers within and out of Africa. WIOCC offers carriers connectivity to over 550 locations across 30 African countries – utilising more than 75,000 km (47,000 mi) of terrestrial fibre and 200,000 km (120,000 mi) of submarine fibre-optic cable. WIOCC's international network reach currently extends to 100 cities in 29 countries in Europe and more than 700 cities in 70 countries globally.
A terrestrial cable is a communications cable which crosses land, rather than water. Terrestrial cable may be subterranean (buried) or aerial, and may be fiber or copper. The term "terrestrial cable" is principally used to distinguish it from submarine cable, although some overlap exists between the two.