This month, Equiano, Google’s subsea internet cable in Africa, will make its first landing in Togo. This was announced by Google on Friday (18 March 2022).

 Originally announced in 2019, Equiano is Google’s 14th subsea cable investment, but the first devoted to internet access in Africa. The vehicle will travel from Portugal to South Africa and is part of the company’s $1 billion Africa investment, which also includes a $50 million venture capital fund.

Benefits:

Equiano cable will provide the following benefits:

  • The country and West Africa will benefit from improved high-speed and affordable internet access
  • Cable landings are planned for Togo’s capital city, Lome, as well as Nigeria and Namibia before a final landing in Cape Town.
  • The cable will be managed and maintained by a local company formed by CSquared, an open-access wholesale broadband infrastructure company, and Societe infrastructure Numeriques (SIN), a public telecommunications asset company.
  • The subsea cable will be used to extend internet services across the country, becoming the country’s national broadband network.-
  • The investment will help Togo build a strong digital economy 
  • This project aims to transform Togo into a tech hub.

A few statements:

Google’s cable is expected to offer 20 times more bandwidth than other cables in West Africa, satisfying a yearning for Togo’s 19-year-old population. 

“When you are 18, what you want is a really strong internet connection. And if you want that, you need fibre-optic networks.

International Development Association’s $11m contributions to the World Bank was approved in May 2021 

“To improve connectivity in Togo and develop the country’s digital economy”.

By 2025, Equiano will contribute $351 million (pdf) to Togo’s economy. Lawson says Togo will seek multiples of that amount, up to €300 million. 

“We are talking to lenders to put fibre on all-electric lines. It is a process but we will get there soon.”

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