(Ecofin Agency) - Mauritania is served by a single international subsea cable since 2011. Frequent malfunctions on this infrastructure are disrupting phone and internet services in the country. 

The government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania is looking for an international partner to connect the country to a second fiber optic submarine cable. To this end, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, Innovation, and Modernization of Administration (MTNIMA) has issued an open invitation to tender that will close on October 5, 2023. 

The contract covers the supply of the subsea cable and equipment, the construction of the beach manhole, ducts, and the station at Nouadhibou. It also covers the supply of the connectivity service, maintenance, and operation of the subsea cable and equipment, and maintenance of the beach manhole, ducts, station, and related equipment. 

"The contract will run for 24 months, and may not exceed 36 months," the ministry said.

Mauritania's connection to a second international subsea cable is part of "WARCIP Mauritania," the project launched by the government to increase the geographical coverage of high-capacity bandwidth networks and reduce the cost of communications services in the country. The initiative is supported by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank (EIB), which are contributing €10 million and €25 million respectively.

The new cable will reinforce the capacities of the African Coast to Europe (ACE), to which the country connected in 2011 and on which it mainly depends for high-speed Internet services. This should guarantee Mauritanian populations and businesses reliable and improved high-speed Internet connectivity while accelerating the country's digital transformation.

Isaac K. Kassouwi