Google is building the first underwater fiber optic cable that will directly connect Africa to Australia, helping to strengthen access to the Internet in one of the least connected parts of the world. The cable, named Umoja, follows Google Equiano, which connects Africa to Europe.
The new line will start in Kenya and pass through Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, and then cross the ocean to Australia, the company said in a blog post on Thursday. The new infrastructure will improve coverage on the continent, which has suffered from damaged cables this year. Currently, there are relatively few underwater connections to Africa and limited terrestrial infrastructure, making it difficult to reroute traffic.
This week, U.S. President Joe Biden and Kenyan President William Ruto will meet in Washington during a state visit aimed at deepening U.S. ties with Africa. The continent is becoming a new arena for global competition for influence when it comes to technology and communications. This week, Microsoft announced plans to build a $1 billion geothermal data processing center in Kenya as part of a multi-year plan to significantly increase cloud computing capacity in East Africa.
"Access to cutting-edge technologies, supported by reliable and resilient digital infrastructure, is crucial for economic growth opportunities. This is an important moment for Kenya's digital transformation journey," said Meg Whitman, U.S. ambassador to Kenya and former CEO of eBay.
The land route for Umoja was built in partnership with Liquid Technologies to create a highly scalable route through Africa, including access points that will allow other countries to benefit from the network.
Source: Bloomberg
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