Infrastructure operator AFR-IX Telecom announces the extension of the Medusa<\/strong> fiber optic submarine cable to West Africa. This strategic project aims to improve connectivity between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean<\/strong>, with financial support from the European Commission<\/strong> to the tune of 14.3 million euros<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n Initially, the Medusa cable was to link Morocco, Portugal, Spain, France, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Egypt. This new phase willextend the network to West Africa<\/strong>, strengthening the resilience of the<\/strong> region’s digital infrastructure<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n According to a World Bank study (July 2024)<\/strong>, every doubling of international bandwidth<\/strong> leads to an average 7% drop in the price of fixed broadband Internet<\/strong> in Africa. For mobile broadband, the drop reaches 13%<\/strong>. This extension could therefore make a significant contribution to lowering costs for African consumers<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n This announcement comes at a time when several West African countries<\/strong> – notably Benin, Burkina Faso and C\u00f4te d’Ivoire – have seen protests<\/strong> against the high prices of Internet services in 2023. In 2023, costs still represented 14.8% of gross national income per capita<\/strong> for fixed Internet and 4.48% for mobile<\/strong>, a long way from the recommended affordability threshold of 2%<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n To date, no date has been announced<\/strong> for the start of construction or for the commissioning of the cable. The exact capacity of<\/strong> this new branch has not yet been revealed. However, AFR-IX Telecom mentions a marine study<\/strong> towards the Democratic Republic of Congo<\/strong> and the exploration of alternative routes along the West African coast<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n The extension of the Medusa cable represents a major challenge for the digital development of West Africa<\/strong>. By improving intercontinental connectivity<\/strong> and lowering Internet access costs<\/strong>, this project could play a decisive role in bridging the continent’s digital divide<\/strong>. However, the actual implementation of this ambitious initiative remains to be closely monitored. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" AFR-IX Telecom extends Medusa cable to West Africa A stronger interconnection between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Infrastructure operator AFR-IX Telecom announces the extension of the Medusa fiber optic submarine cable to West Africa. This strategic project aims to improve connectivity between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, with financial support from the European Commission to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\nOver 8,700 km of cable to link continents<\/h2>\n\n
From the Mediterranean to West Africa<\/h3>\n\n
An opportunity to reduce Internet costs in Africa<\/h2>\n\n
A direct impact on connectivity rates<\/h3>\n\n
High expectations against a backdrop of contestation<\/h2>\n\n
Prices still largely unaffordable for many households<\/h3>\n\n
Details still to be worked out<\/h2>\n\n
Deployment, capacity and beneficiary countries<\/h3>\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n
A strategic step towards a better-connected Africa<\/h3>\n\n