• Government considers joining Medusa cable to improve network stability

• Project estimated at €20–60 million, with rollout targeted for 2029–2030

• Move aims to cut outages, lower costs, and expand digital access

Equatorial Guinea is considering connecting to the Medusa subsea cable as part of efforts to improve Internet reliability and network performance. The project, estimated at between €20 million ($23 million) and €60 million, is expected to become operational between 2029 and 2030.

The proposal is one of the priority measures outlined in a strategic study conducted by consulting firm Mason to modernize the country’s digital infrastructure. The report was presented on April 3 in the presence of Vice President Nguema Obiang Mangue, according to a statement from the vice presidency and the ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE).

The project has not yet been approved. The vice president said it would be reviewed in detail by a technical committee in coordination with Medusa project officials.

A strategic infrastructure to strengthen connectivity

According to the Mason report, the Medusa subsea cable is a major fiber-optic system spanning 8,700 kilometers, linking the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Red Seas. The city of Bata is being considered as a landing point due to its population density and proximity to the capital, La Paz.

The system is designed to deliver a total capacity of 480 terabits per second through 24 fiber pairs, or about 20 Tb/s per pair. Initially planned to connect Mediterranean countries, the project has since been extended to Africa, with the potential to improve digital access for hundreds of millions of people across 22 countries.

Efforts to diversify international connections

The report also highlights the need to strengthen the country’s links to high-capacity international networks to address current limitations. In February, the government signed a cooperation agreement with Nigeria to deploy a separate subsea fiber-optic infrastructure.

Details of that project remain unclear. Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said the future high-speed cable would help strengthen digital communications. “It's a subsea cable, very important, the linkages that we require in Africa to integrate our markets and reap those benefits,” he said.

Nigeria is already connected to seven major international subsea cables, including WACS, SAT-3/WASC, MainOne, Glo-1, Equiano, 2Africa, and ACE, as well as a link to Cameroon between Kribi and Lagos.

By contrast, Equatorial Guinea relies mainly on the ACE cable for its international connectivity. The country also operates several regional links: Ceiba-1 connects Malabo to Bata; Ceiba-2 links Malabo to Kribi via Bata; and Ultramar GE connects Equatorial Guinea to São Tomé and Príncipe.

Lower costs and wider access expected

Beyond improving service quality, the Medusa consortium says the project will help reduce network congestion as demand for connectivity rises, while strengthening redundancy and resilience across critical infrastructure.

“The Medusa Africa Submarine Cable System will be transformational for digital connectivity along Africa’s Atlantic coast, creating new opportunities for innovation, commerce, and social inclusion in the region,” said Norman Albi, CEO of AFR-IX and the Medusa Africa project, in a statement published in September 2025.

Subsea cable landings are also associated with lower Internet costs. A World Bank study published in July 2024 found that doubling subsea cable capacity in Africa reduces fixed broadband prices by an average of 7% and mobile broadband prices by 13%.

Improved capacity and resilience could also support wider adoption of digital services at a time of accelerating digital transformation and persistent connectivity gaps. According to DataReportal, Equatorial Guinea had 1.18 million Internet subscriptions at the end of 2025, representing a penetration rate of 60.4%.

Isaac K. Kassouwi