According to industry reports, the telecommunications landscape in Sudan is poised for a major transformation with a US$3 million investment in advanced networking equipment and the recent activation of a new subcontinental undersea fibre optic cable. This development is particularly significant for Sudan, a nation that has endured severe damage to its telecommunications infrastructure due to civil war.
The recently launched undersea fibre cable initiative is a pioneering project led by the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA). It falls under the strategic Port Sudan to Douala (Cameroon) Corridor and aims to connect landlocked nations in Central and West Africa to the global undersea cable network.
In support of this project, the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) has invested substantially in networking equipment. The ETC is launching a fibre internet service available to users in Port Sudan by the end of the current week. Subsequently, the service will be expanded to strategic locations throughout Sudan, including Damazine, Dongola, El Gedaref, Kassala, and the capital city, Khartoum.
Unfortunately, due to the escalation of conflict and resulting evacuations in areas such as Kosti, the service deployment has been temporarily suspended.
Richard Egwangu, the ETC’s regional coordinator, highlighted that the shift to fibre optic technology signifies a significant upgrade from the existing telecommunications infrastructure. This upgrade promises vastly improved high-speed internet connectivity, essential for facilitating communication and data exchange within the humanitarian sector.
The new fibre network is expected to reduce reliance on satellite communication services, which are often less efficient and costly.
To further support humanitarian efforts in Sudan, the ETC is establishing operational hubs nationwide. These hubs will serve as joint operation centres for various humanitarian organizations engaged in life-saving activities.
Since the outbreak of war in early 2023, Sudan’s telecommunications services have been severely disrupted, and much of the infrastructure has been left compromised. With the introduction of the fibre optic network, there is renewed hope for a more stable and robust communications framework to aid in the country’s recovery and humanitarian response.
