The Orange Group has recently unveiled an ambitious new initiative, Via Africa, aimed at enhancing the resilience and diversity of international connectivity in West Africa. This project is designed to forge a connection between Europe and Africa along the Atlantic coast, utilizing a consortium-based investment strategy.
Key investors in this venture include Canalink, GUILAB, International Mauritania Telecom, Orange Group, Orange Côte d’Ivoire, Sonatel, and Silverlinks. These entities have all signed a memorandum of understanding, thereby solidifying their commitment to this collaborative endeavor.
The proposed submarine cable is set to link European nations to South Africa. It will feature landing points in the United Kingdom, France, and Portugal, as well as several locations along Africa’s Atlantic coast. These include the Canary Islands, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria.
As part of this project, Orange has plans to extend further south. This is in a bid to enhance connectivity diversity and fortify network resilience for the nations along the proposed route. The consortium members are united in their goal of enhancing international connectivity, supporting the rapid growth of traffic, and improving network infrastructure across the African continent.
The Via Africa system operates under a consortium framework. This allows participating partners to co-invest in the infrastructure while also playing a role in governance and operational decision-making.
During the initial phase, consortium members will collaborate on a detailed cable route study. This is to determine the most effective path that maximizes resilience, technical feasibility, and overall economic efficiency.
In a statement, Orange underscored that this groundbreaking cable project aims to foster greater diversity and resilience in international connectivity serving Africa. It offers an alternative subsea route to strengthen regional connectivity.
Tags: Connectivity, News & Reports, Orange Group, Submarine
