The expansion of fiber-optic networks across Africa is set to boost productivity, education, and digital inclusion. Yet the continent faces a paradox: while it now has ample international bandwidth, its domestic and urban networks remain underdeveloped. Strengthening governance, investment, and regional connectivity will be essential to turn these digital backbones into affordable, accessible services for the wider population.

Over the past two decades, Africa has gone from being largely offline to a continent connected by dozens of submarine fiber-optic cables. This quiet transformation has vastly expanded international bandwidth, drawn investment into data centers, fueled mobile growth, and nurtured a vibrant digital ecosystem. Yet behind the rapid progress lies a more complex reality: major cities remain underserved, landlocked nations depend on delayed regional backbone projects, and much of the infrastructure is now controlled by foreign private firms, raising questions over digital sovereignty.

A Surge in International Bandwidth

Africa’s modern connectivity story began in 2001 with the launch of SAT-3/SAFE, the first major fiber link connecting Southern and West Africa to Europe and Asia, according to the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development. It marked the continent’s break from the era of slow, costly satellite communications.

A first wave of cables, SEACOM, EASSy, WACS, and ACE, followed between 2009 and 2012, multiplying landing points along the coasts. A second wave began in the mid-2010s, driven by global tech companies and telecom operators. Google switched on Equiano along the Atlantic coast in 2023, while Meta’s 2Africa consortium began encircling the continent with a network that extends to the Gulf and Asia.

Africa has recorded the fastest growth in international bandwidth of any region between 2021 and 2025. “Total international bandwidth now stands at an impressive 1,835 Tbps, representing a four-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24%.”

According to TeleGeography’s Africa Telecom Map 2025, 77 cable systems were active or under construction at the start of 2025. Egypt and South Africa host the largest clusters, with 19 and 11 systems, respectively. Worldwide, TeleGeography listed 597 systems and 1,712 landing points as of May 2025.

Africa has recorded the fastest growth in international bandwidth of any region between 2021 and 2025. “Total international bandwidth now stands at an impressive 1,835 Tbps, representing a four-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24%,” wrote Paul Brodsky, Senior Research Director at TeleGeography. Although the pace has eased slightly, bandwidth has more than doubled since 2021, with Africa leading at a 38% CAGR in international internet capacity.

This surge in capacity has pushed down IP transit prices and, where infrastructure allows, improved connection speeds and retail affordability. An impact study of Google’s Equiano cable in South Africa projects average speeds rising from 28 Mbps in 2021 to 75 Mbps in 2025, alongside a 21% fall in retail prices driven by stronger competition and greater route diversity.

The Fiber Divide and Terrestrial Bottlenecks

Having a cable land on the coast does not automatically bring fast internet to those inland. Many coastal countries have landing stations but lack the national fiber backbones needed to distribute capacity to cities, schools, and businesses. Without national and cross-border links, bandwidth remains trapped on the shoreline.

The Africa Broadband Outlook 2024, published by the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) and Africa Analysis, reported that on a continent spanning 30 million square kilometers, Africa had 2,130,506 km of operational terrestrial fiber. Of this, 1,337,158 km were fully active, with 112,373 km under construction and 124,179 km planned.

Even so, fixed broadband penetration remains extremely low. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), fewer than 1 in 100 Africans had a fixed-line subscription in 2024, compared with a global average of 18 per 100. Only Seychelles and Mauritius stand out, with 27 and 31 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, respectively. In most other countries, the figure is under 4 per 100.

Coverage is hampered by limited proximity to fiber nodes; only 30% of Africans live within 10 km of one. Mobile broadband remains dominant, but penetration is still low: 52 out of 100 Africans have mobile internet access, compared with a global average of 95 per 100.

Coverage is hampered by limited proximity to fiber nodes; only 30% of Africans live within 10 km of one. Mobile broadband remains dominant, but penetration is still low: 52 out of 100 Africans have mobile internet access, compared with a global average of 95 per 100.

For the 17 landlocked African countries, connectivity depends on the extension of cross-border fiber from coastal landing points. Yet several regional projects have fallen short. The Central African Backbone (CAB), launched in 2007, has suffered uneven progress and delays. Similarly, the West Africa Regional Communication Infrastructure Program (WARCIP), backed by the World Bank, has faced disruptions, particularly in Mali, where political instability diverted funding to other partners. In January 2024, Mali’s Council of Ministers approved a 24-month, $117.3 million contract with China International Telecommunication Construction Corporation to extend national fiber to Mopti, Koro, and Timbuktu.

Sovereignty and the Role of Foreign Players

The boom in submarine fiber cables has revived debates over Africa’s digital sovereignty. Whereas early systems in the 2000s were typically funded by consortiums of national operators, recent projects are increasingly led by global tech and telecom giants. Meta heads the 2Africa consortium with partners such as Vodafone, Orange, MTN, Telecom Egypt, and WIOCC. Google financed Equiano and announced Umoja, the first direct route linking Africa and Australia. Meanwhile, the PEACE cable, activated in 2022 by China’s HMN Tech, underscores how geopolitical competition now intertwines with commercial interests.

This growing foreign footprint has brought major benefits,more capacity, more redundancy,but also raises questions over who ultimately controls the continent’s digital backbone. The African Union’s Data Policy Framework (2022) calls for stronger infrastructure governance and data management to support continental integration and safeguard sovereignty.

The Next Challenge: From Coast to Hinterland

Over the next five years, Africa’s challenge will be less about laying new undersea cables and more about extending fiber inland. Achieving this requires reforming infrastructure governance and financing, prioritizing national and regional backbones, and redesigning universal service funds to favor public-private partnerships (PPPs) that promote neutral, open-access networks.

Governments must also ensure that these digital corridors are supported by reliable power supply, security, and local interconnection. Expanding Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and data centers will be critical to improving service quality and reducing costs.

While maintaining private-sector participation, African governments and the African Union can strengthen oversight by demanding transparency, fair access, and security provisions in cable licensing.

While maintaining private-sector participation, African governments and the African Union can strengthen oversight by demanding transparency, fair access, and security provisions in cable licensing. Coordinating redundancy requirements and embedding them within the continental data strategy will be key to turning Africa’s vast undersea bandwidth into practical, affordable connectivity for businesses and households alike.

Muriel Edjo