MainOne, an Equinix Company and a leading West African data center and connectivity solutions provider, has announced the historic landing in Qua Iboe, Akwa Ibom State, of the first and only submarine cable system in Nigeria outside of Lagos.
The initiative marks a milestone in the company’s drive towards enhancing broadband connectivity and driving economic development in the South-South, South-East and North-Central regions of Nigeria.
Spanning 45,000km in length, 2Africa will be one of the world’s largest subsea cable projects and will interconnect Europe, Asia, and Africa, with a design capacity of up to 180Tbps.
According to the firm’s management, the significance of 2Africa lies in its capacity to address critical internet needs and enhance reliability across Africa’s landscape and the project serves as a catalyst for the advancement of 4G, 5G and fixed broadband accessibility, extending its impact to billions of people.
It stated that Akwa Ibom’s selection as a landing site underscored its strategic importance in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey, pointing out that by offering cable diversity and resiliency, 2Africa contributes significantly to the country’s digital infrastructure resilience.
Notably, with the landing of the 2Africa cable, MainOne will facilitate the establishment of a terrestrial metro fiber network in Akwa Ibom State and the entire South-South Nigeria, seamlessly connecting enterprises and people in the region to the submarine cable system.
Commenting on the technology infrastructure feat by his company, MainOne Regional Business Head, 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.”
Industry experts are optimistic that the terrestrial metro fiber network will address internet distribution constraints across the Southern and North-Central region of Nigeria, bridging the gap in un-served and under-served areas.
In addition, they believe that by hosting the submarine cable system landing and the fiber 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.
