MainOne said it has officially signed “the landmark deal” under which the undersea cable company will spread over 140 kilometres of metro fibre in Akwa Ibom State.
MainOne, had in February announced what the Equinix-owned company described as “ the historic landing” in Akwa Ibom State of the first and only submarine cable system in Nigeria outside of Lagos.
“MainOne,” the company said, is proud to announce that we have officially signed the landmark deal with the Akwa Ibom State Government!”
MainOne had in the wake of the undersea cable landing in Akwa Ibom State, said that it was the first and only submarine cable system in Nigeria outside of Lagos. “This collaboration marks a significant milestone in enhancing broadband connectivity and driving economic development in the South-South, South-East and North-Central regions of Nigeria.”
Abayomi Adebanjo, Regional Business Head, MainOne.
MainOne: Akwa Ibom gets first and only undersea cable in Nigeria outside Lagos
The undersea cable company said that the signing of the pact, comes after the landing of the 2Africa submarine cable at the Qua Iboe Beach Terminal in Akwa Ibom.
“Through this partnership, MainOne will construct approximately 140 kilometres of metro fibre infrastructure, providing super high-speed connectivity for the region. Together, we’re unlocking the full potential of digital connectivity for all of South-South,” MainOne said.
MainOne had in the wake of the undersea cable landing in Akwa Ibom State, said that it was the first and only submarine cable system in Nigeria outside of Lagos. “This collaboration marks a significant milestone in enhancing broadband connectivity and driving economic development in the South-South, South-East and North-Central regions of Nigeria.”
According to MainOne, “spanning 45,000km in length, 2Africa will be one of the world’s largest subsea cable projects and will interconnect Europe, Asia, and Africa, with a design capacity of up to 180Tbps. The significance of 2Africa lies in its capacity to address critical internet needs and enhance reliability across vast expanses of Africa.”
Furthermore, MainOne said, “2Africa serves as a catalyst for the advancement of 4G, 5G and fixed broadband accessibility, extending its impact to billions of people. Akwa Ibom’s selection as a landing site underscores its strategic importance in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey. By offering cable diversity and resiliency, 2Africa contributes significantly to the country’s digital infrastructure resilience and MainOne’s role as the landing partner solidifies this endeavour.”
The undersea cable company said it will facilitate the establishment of a terrestrial metro fibre network in Akwa Ibom State and the entire South-South Nigeria, “seamlessly connecting enterprises and people in the region to the submarine cable system.”
Abayomi Adebanjo, Regional Business Head, MainOne, said that “with a commitment to consistently deploy financial capital and project resources towards infrastructure investments, MainOne is dedicated to improving internet capacity and driving various aspects of development, including economic growth, digital transformation, healthcare, security, agriculture, and increased state revenue in South-South Nigeria.”
Under the plan, MainOne said that the terrestrial metro fibre network will address internet distribution constraints across the Southern and North-Central region of Nigeria, bridging the gap in unserved and underserved areas. “By hosting the submarine cable system landing and the fibre cable interconnection, Akwa Ibom State, the South-South Region and Nigeria will unlock numerous economic and social benefits, fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation, and improved public service delivery.”
The privately-owned MainOne said it is bridging the digital divide between West Africa and the rest of the world by delivering innovative infrastructure solutions to increase internet broadband penetration in West Africa.
With its high capacity, open-access, 10 Tbps fibre optic cable, Main One offers reliable, world-class broadband access and services within West Africa to telecom operators, internet service providers, governments, large enterprises and SMEs, the undersea cable company said.
“Since MainOne’s commercial launch in July 2010, the company has quickly gained the reputation of being the most reliable and the first choice for wholesale traffic for leading Nigerian and Ghanaian based telecom Operators and ISPs. The company has also extended its services to other West African countries including Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Cote D’Ivoire where it has continued to improve Internet Access and crash wholesale bandwidth prices. It continues to grow its footprint with major network interconnection facilities, extensive terrestrial fiber builds, regional Points of Presence, and currently delivers services into 10 West African countries including Senegal, Cameroun, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Chad and Niger,” it said on its website.
