The largest mobile network provider in Africa, MTN Group Ltd., plans to invest $320 million in an inland fiber cable that will link 10 countries as the continent’s population continues to rise.
Independent News reported that MTN has revealed that in the fourth quarter, the Johannesburg-based company will begin construction on the East2West link through its MTN GlobalConnect division and the Africa50 infrastructure investment agency,
Stating that the new MTN pipes will be constructed in three phases and run through countries including Kenya, Nigeria, and Congo, with the last stage expected to be ready in 2025, the fiber will significantly speed up services such as video streaming and cloud computing once complete.
It was stated that the project will connect more than 100,000 kilometers of fiber and add around 20,000 kilometers (12,400 miles) of new cable.
The agreement came after MTN’s recent endeavor to construct a subsea cable that arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, late last year as part of a push to connect African countries to Europe and the Middle East.
While underwater cables provide coastal towns with rapid broadband, inland connections are required to further connect countries that are landlocked.
In order to profit from the services provided on their networks, wireless carriers in Africa are investing more and more in infrastructure. MTN is in the process of separating apart its infrastructure wholesale company GlobalConnect, which is being rebranded as Bayobab and has plans to roll out 135,000 kilometers of fiber by 2025, potentially bringing in $1 billion in income.
According to MTN, Africa requires at least 500,000 extra kilometers of fiber optic connections. Wireless providers and US digital behemoths like Facebook and Alphabet Inc.’s Google are investing substantially in initiatives to improve access to the continent’s young, rapidly expanding population.
