Photo Credit: Google
As part of its Africa Connect initiative, Google has announced the construction of a new fiber optic cable system linking Australia and Africa. The project, known as “Umoja” is the first-ever fiber optic cable to directly boost internet services between the two continents. As African economies continue to expand, internet usage has soared. Anchored in Kenya, the Umoja cable route will go through South Africa (including the Google Cloud region), Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the Indian Ocean and of course, Australia.
Through the new submarine cable, Google aims to help bridge a global digital divide. Providing high-speed digital connectivity, supporting growing internet traffic, and strengthening tech infrastructure (especially for large data sets) are just some of Umoja’s many benefits.
For Australia, it solidifies the continent’s position as a digital leader in the Asia-Pacific region, opening up new avenues for commercial trade and education. For Africa, the cable can decrease high costs often associated with internet access. It will also enable African businesses to operate more efficiently— allowing them to gain faster access to global markets with ease. In Swahili, “Umoja” means unity. Between both continents, startups and entrepreneurs will be encouraged to partner, innovate and exchange digital tools faster.
The Africa-Australia cable will span approximately 13,000 kilometers, making it one of the longest undersea cable systems in the world. Its design will incorporate advanced technologies such as wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM), which allows multiple data signals to be transmitted simultaneously over the same fiber; this ensures no matter the size of internet traffic, speed or reliability will never be compromised.