MTN invests millions in improving Africa's internet access

8 April 2011

Internet access across Africa's is set to be boosted by the introduction of a 14,000km ultra-high capacity fibre optic submarine cable system which links Southern Africa and Europe.

Named the West Africa Cable System (Wacs), it is being chiefly funded by mobile service provider MTN, who plans to invest $90 million (£54.9 million) in the project.

The $650 million cable system is the biggest to ever land on the Africa continent and will have 15 points anchoring along the western coast of Africa, including terminal stations in the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

"WACS will provide millions of MTN subscribers across Africa the much-needed bandwidth and will go a long way towards catapulting Africa into the digital age," commented Karel Pienaar, managing director of MTN South Africa.

"Lack of bandwidth on the continent has arrested the development of Africa and has constrained the continent from achieving its full potential."

Research has indicated that investment in ICT in sub-Saharan Africa is set to climb 9.9 per cent this year.

Category: ICT