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Africa is getting ready for a significant digital transformation. This September, the 2Africa undersea cable — extending an astonishing 45,000km across the continent–will launch. The initiative is being celebrated as one of the most ambitious connectivity projects in Africa’s history, and it is supported by Meta, along with other international telecom companies.
Why This Cable is Important
In 2024, less than 4 out of 10 Africans were connected to the internet. The primary obstacles were the expensive data charges and unstable connections. The 2Africa cable aims to address this by significantly reducing bandwidth expenses and enhancing internet reliability throughout the continent.
With new landing sites in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and other locations across the continent, the cable aims to provide millions of Africans with access to reliable, affordable internet — an essential move towards closing the digital gap.
A robust consortium comprising Meta, MTN, Orange, Vodafone, China Mobile International, and Telecom Egypt is launching the 2africa initiative. This is a strategic gamble for Meta: Africa has the globe’s fastest-growing youth demographic, with hundreds of millions of internet users and a huge potential for growth.
Also, lower-cost and faster internet will lead to increased social media users, more streaming, enhanced gaming, and expanded digital services, all of which boost Africa’s digital economy.
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What It Signifies for Nigeria
For Nigeria, the 2Africa cable has the potential to transform daily digital experiences, significantly reducing users’ data expenses. Additionally, it is anticipated to provide quicker and safer mobile money transactions.
Image credit: Meta Engineering
It is expected to enhance streaming, gaming, and virtual learning experiences. Also, it is expected to offer a great advantage for startups, which frequently face challenges with cloud expenses and bandwidth restrictions.
Beyond Just Connectivity
It’s not only about enhancing internet browsing speed. Dependable, affordable access could create opportunities for e-commerce growth, fintech development, remote job possibilities, and AI integration. It enables Africa to enhance its competitiveness in the worldwide digital economy.
If it succeeds, the 2Africa undersea cable could be the foundation of Africa’s digital future. It will become the infrastructure that ultimately equalises opportunities with the rest of the connected globe.
