A new submarine cable system that is expected to boost Internet access across West Africa will connect Nigeria with Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, and Senegal.

Named Djoliba, the infrastructure, which is based on a terrestrial fiber-optic network, coupled with undersea cables, offering secure connectivity abroad from West Africa, is being championed by French telecoms firm, Orange.

Interconnected with the domestic networks within the countries, Orange said the broad coverage would generalise access to connectivity for operators and companies and support the digital ecosystem to meet the growing need for connectivity in the region.

Chief Executive Officer of Orange Middle East and Africa, Alioune Ndiaye, at the weekend, said: “Orange is actively contributing to the development of undersea and terrestrial infrastructure, which enable the African continent’s digital transformation, by investing €1 billion ($1.18 billion) each year. With Djoliba, local populations will be able to access healthcare or educational services more easily, as well as the applications offered by cloud computing.

“Djoliba is a key feature of future growth and improved Internet access for landlocked nations in the region. This network deployed by Orange will provide a presence between eight capital cities of the West Africa region, providing seamless connectivity,” Ndiaye stated.

The network covers 16 points of presence with a grid of nearly 155 technical sites, and connects 300 points of presence in Europe, America and Asia. It is based on Orange’s Tier 1 network and, therefore, provides a seamless connection to the group’s international networks.

“For Africa to excel in a digital revolution of this scale, it’s crucial to develop the necessary skills locally. Djoliba is a good demonstration of this because our subsidiaries, Orange Cote d’Ivoire, Orange Burkina Faso and Orange Mali have focused all their efforts on deploying, operating and marketing this new network,” he said.

The Guardian