Orange Group has announced an ambitious new submarine cable initiative called Via Africa, designed to bolster the resilience and diversity of international connectivity in West Africa.
This project aims to establish a connection between Europe and Africa along the Atlantic coast, facilitated through a consortium-based investment approach. Key investors involved in the venture include Canalink, GUILAB, International Mauritania Telecom, Orange Group, Orange Côte d’Ivoire, Sonatel, and Silverlinks, all of whom have signed a memorandum of understanding to solidify their collaborative efforts.
The proposed submarine cable will link European countries to South Africa, featuring landing points in the United Kingdom, France, and Portugal, as well as several locations along Africa’s Atlantic coast, including the Canary Islands, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria.
As part of this project, Orange envisions extensions further south to enhance connectivity diversity and strengthen network resilience for the nations along the proposed route. The consortium members share a collective goal of boosting international connectivity, supporting the rapid growth of traffic, and improving network infrastructure across the African continent.
Operating under a consortium framework, the Via Africa system allows participating partners to co-invest in the infrastructure while playing a role in governance and operational decision-making.
During the initial phase, consortium members will collaborate on a detailed cable route study to determine the most effective path that maximises resilience, technical feasibility, and overall economic efficiency.
In a statement, Orange emphasised that this groundbreaking cable project aims to foster greater diversity and resilience in international connectivity serving Africa, offering an alternative subsea route to strengthen regional connectivity.
