Bayobab and Africa50 to Invest USD 320 Million in Pan-African Terrestrial Fibre

Bayobab and Africa50, two prominent players in the telecommunications and infrastructure sectors, have joined forces to invest USD 320 million in the development of a pan-African terrestrial fibre optic cable network. The project, known as Project East2West, aims to connect the eastern shores of Africa with the western coast, enhancing connectivity and bridging the digital divide across the continent.

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Also Read: MTN GlobalConnect Rebrands as Bayobab, Paving the Way for African Digital Connectivity

Bridging the Digital Divide: Project East2West

The investment will involve connecting ten African countries over the years 2023, 2024, and 2025. Bayobab, a subsidiary of MTN Group, will lead the initiative as part of MTN’s Ambition 2025 plans to expand its proprietary fibre infrastructure to 135,000 km within the next three years.

Project East2West holds immense potential for landlocked African countries, as it is expected to significantly improve latency and increase capacity for high-quality broadband access. According to the statement, this development will level the playing field and provide equal opportunities for success in the digital world.

Also Read: MTN Group to Invest $1 Billion in Ghana for 5G Rollout

Benefits for Internet Service Providers and Operators

The partnership between Bayobab and Africa50 will benefit internet service providers, mobile network operators, and hyper scalers operating in the region by delivering substantial improvements in data traffic.

Furthermore, it will address bottlenecks in global internet traffic landing in and going out of Africa, resulting in a potential reduction of latency by up to 65 percent on the east-to-west route, according to the statement.