By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A submarine cable spanning 45,000km in length known as 2Africa has been landed in Akwa Ibom State by MainOne, an Equinix company.
It is one of the world’s largest subsea cable projects and will interconnect Europe, Asia, and Africa, with a design capacity of up to 180Tbps.
The cable is the first and only submarine cable system in Nigeria outside of Lagos, and it marks a significant milestone in enhancing broadband connectivity and driving economic development in the South-South, South-East and North-Central regions of Nigeria.
The significance of 2Africa lies in its capacity to address critical internet needs and enhance reliability across vast expanses of Africa.
Furthermore, 2Africa catalyzes the advancement of 4G, 5G and fixed broadband accessibility, extending its impact to billions of people.
The selection of Akwa Ibom as a landing site underscores its strategic importance in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.
By offering cable diversity and resiliency, 2Africa contributes significantly to the country’s digital infrastructure resilience and MainOne’s role as the landing partner solidifies this endeavour.
Notably, MainOne will facilitate the establishment of a terrestrial metro fibre network in Akwa Ibom State and entire South-South Nigeria, seamlessly connecting enterprises and people in the region to the submarine cable system.
While commenting on the development, the Regional Business Head for MainOne, Mr Abayomi Adebanjo, said, “With a commitment to consistently deploy financial capital and project resources towards infrastructure investments, MainOne is dedicated to improving internet capacity and driving various aspects of development, including economic growth, digital transformation, healthcare, security, agriculture, and increased state revenue in South-South Nigeria.”
The terrestrial metro fibre network will address internet distribution constraints across the Southern and North-Central regions of Nigeria, bridging the gap in unserved and underserved areas.
By hosting the submarine cable system landing and the fibre cable interconnection, Akwa Ibom State, the South-South Region and Nigeria will unlock numerous economic and social benefits, fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation, and improved public service delivery.
Adedapo Adesanya