Google is planning four new infrastructure hubs across Africa to support its latest underwater fibre-optic cables.
- Google plans to establish four new infrastructure hubs across Africa to support underwater fibre-optic cables.
- The hubs will consist of landing stations and data centres, connecting subsea cables to various regions of the continent.
- This initiative reflects a broader effort by tech companies, such as Microsoft, to expand digital infrastructure in Africa.
- Google’s Equiano and Umoja cables are expected to land this year, and the hubs will be completed within three years.
Google is planning four new infrastructure hubs across Africa to support its latest underwater fibre-optic cables.
The hubs, comprising landing stations and data centres, will connect subsea cables to the north, west, south, and east of the continent.
The company’s Africa managing director, Alex Okosi, told Bloomberg TV the investment is fully funded by Google, noting only that the company has already “surpassed” the $1 billion it pledged to spend in Africa between 2021 and 2026.
The new infrastructure is expected to improve internet access across Africa, where connectivity remains patchy, expensive, and vulnerable to disruptions when subsea cables are damaged.
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Google’s two newest cables, Equiano and Umoja, are scheduled to land on the continent this year. The hubs are slated for completion within three years and could help lower costs for telecom operators such as MTN Group Ltd. and Vodacom Group Ltd., enabling them to offer more affordable broadband services.
Big tech’s race for Africa’s AI future
The initiative comes as global tech giants race to expand digital infrastructure in Africa, home to the world’s fastest-growing and youngest population. Microsoft Corp., for instance, is developing a $1 billion geothermal-powered data centre in Kenya and investing about $300 million to expand its artificial intelligence capacity in South Africa.
“For us, it is how do we make sure that we are investing in Africa to make sure that the AI opportunity is realised,” he said.
