A Google-owned undersea cable that promises to double internet speeds for millions in Africa reached Togo on Friday, the company said, the latest step in a multi-year project to provide cheaper access to users across the continent.
Google said in a statement that the Equiano cable, the first of its kind to reach Africa, has made its way from Portugal and will double the internet speed of Togo’s 8 million residents.
This could be a bait for things to come that other countries are set to benefit in a region where internet use is rising rapidly but networks are often cripplingly slow and a drag on economic development.
The new line will also reach Nigeria, Namibia and South Africa, with potential branches offering connections to neighboring countries. Work is expected to start at the end of the year.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the least connected region in the world, with about a quarter of the population still lacking mobile broadband coverage compared to 7% globally, according to a 2020 report by GSMA Intelligence.
Most countries in West Africa are at the bottom of the World Bank’s global rankings for internet penetration.
Togo will be the first to benefit. Cable is expected to reduce internet prices by 14% by 2025, according to an assessment of Google’s Africa Practice and Genesis Analytics.
Google said the cable will indirectly create 37,000 jobs in Togo by 2025 and boost GDP by $193 million.
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