The investment seeks to reduce the cost of internet access for the average use on the continent.
by Blue Africa News
American technology giant Google plans to set up four new subsea cable connectivity hubs across Africa, a move expected to significantly boost internet access and digital infrastructure on the continent.
The announcement was made by Alex Okosi, the multinational company’s Africa managing director in an interview with Bloomberg TV, noting that the hubs – to be located in the North, South, East and West regions will create “fresh digital corridors within the continent and between Africa and the rest of the world.”
“So, the connectivity hubs are quite a significant investment. It’s important for us as we see it to be able to really maximize the opportunity to ensure that the bandwidth that we are creating with the subsea cables are effectively utilized by our partners on the ground,” said the Nigerian who has been at the helm of Google Africa since 2023.
The massive investment, he said, seeks to reduce the cost for the average user in terms of being able to access the internet.
“For us it’s foundational to be able to create more connectivity. Being able to really leverage this new AI opportunity that we have for Africa is really critical,” he explained.
According to the Google African managing director, the project to be completed in the next three years will be fully funded by the tech giant, adding that the company had “definitely surpassed the US$1 billion it pledged to spend in Africa in 2021 over the subsequent five years.”
He termed the project as a business opportunity for Google to realize the opportunity Africa presents by going overboard in sectors such as infrastructure, education, and offering training opportunities to young people within the continent.
As a business, Google partners with various telcos across the continent, with some of them, including MTN, Vodacom, Safaricom and Airtel expected to be drafted in to make the project a reality.
“As you can imagine, we have different products across the value chain; whether it is Gmail, YouTube or google maps. We work with every single telco across the continent to ensure that we maximize the opportunity for users to fulfil their needs.
The Google investment will create fresh digital corridors, as other players lay similar initiatives across the continent.
In August, the Coral Bridge express subsea cable connecting Egypt and Jordan was successfully laid, marking the first direct subsea link between the two countries in over 25 years.
The breakthrough was announced in a joint statement by Telecom Egypt – one of the largest subsea operators in the region, and NaiTel – the telecom arm of Aqaba Digital Hub (ADH), a licensed telecommunications service provider in Jordan.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News