Google is expanding subsea fiber-optic cable access to Africa to meet rapidly growing demand for internet connectivity.
The US tech giant is planning four digital infrastructure hubs in Africa to connect its newest underwater fiber-optic cables for the continent, the company’s Africa Managing Director Alex Okosi told Bloomberg. The unspecified new funding for the project is in addition to the $1 billion Google pledged in 2021 to spend in Africa.
Meanwhile, the US Trade and Development Agency is funding a study to examine the feasibility of extending the Medusa submarine cable system from the Mediterranean sea to Africa’s Atlantic coastline, to increase digital access for “hundreds of millions of people” in up to 22 African countries. The move is being framed by the agency as a way to counter China’s growing influence in Africa’s digital landscape.
