In a groundbreaking development for Nigeria’s digital landscape, MainOne (www.MainOne.net), an Equinix Company, has successfully landed the 2Africa submarine cable in Qua Iboe, Akwa Ibom State. This historic achievement marks the first submarine cable landing outside of Lagos, significantly boosting broadband connectivity and driving socio-economic growth across the South-South, South-East, and North-Central regions of the country.
The 2Africa submarine cable, one of the largest subsea cable projects globally, stretches an impressive 45,000 kilometres. It will interconnect Europe, Asia, and Africa, offering a massive design capacity of up to 180Tbps. Designed to address Africa’s pressing internet needs, 2Africa promises to enhance internet reliability across the continent and catalyze the expansion of 4G, 5G, and fixed broadband access, positively impacting billions.
Akwa Ibom State’s strategic significance in Nigeria’s digital journey is underscored by its selection as a 2Africa landing site. MainOne, as the landing partner, has invested substantial financial capital and project resources to bolster internet capacity across the region. 2Africa will contribute to Nigeria’s digital infrastructure resilience by offering cable diversity and reliability.
“MainOne is deeply committed to driving economic growth, digital transformation, healthcare, security, agriculture, and increased state revenue in South-South Nigeria through infrastructure investments,” stated Abayomi Adebanjo, Regional Business Head, MainOne, an Equinix Company.
To maximize the benefits of the submarine cable system, MainOne will establish a terrestrial metro fiber network across Akwa Ibom State and the wider South-South region. This network will seamlessly connect businesses and individuals to the 2Africa infrastructure, addressing internet distribution limitations in underserved and unserved areas throughout Southern and North-Central Nigeria.
By hosting the submarine cable landing and facilitating fiber cable interconnection, Akwa Ibom State, the South-South region, and Nigeria as a whole stand to reap transformative benefits. This development will foster innovation, stimulate entrepreneurship, create jobs, and enhance the delivery of public services across various sectors.
