A month after landing in Togo, Google’s giant new submarine cable, Equiano, which will connect South Africa and Europe along Africa’s west coast, has been brought ashore in Nigeria.
The second mainland Africa landing of the cable system took place in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, this week, and comes ahead of the anticipated commercial launch of the high-capacity system later this year.
Google said recent research conducted by Africa Practice and Genesis Analytics found that Equiano’s arrival in Nigeria will help Internet speeds in the West African nation increase almost sixfold by 2025, with retail Internet prices expected to decline by 21% over the same period.
The same study found that by 2025, real GDP in Nigeria is forecast to be US$10.1-billion higher than it otherwise would have been without Equiano’s presence.
The cable system is being landed in Lagos by Google partner the West Indian Ocean Cable Company. Wiocc is an investor in the Eassy submarine cable on Africa’s east coast and recently raised US$200-million to build data centres and other ICT infrastructure in Africa.
Equiano will be deployed in Namibia and South Africa later this year, completing the connection between Africa and Europe. – © 2022 NewsCentral Media