Google has announced Umoja, the first ever fiber optic route to directly connect
Africa with Australia in a bid to increase
digital connectivity, accelerate economic growth, and deepen resilience across
Africa.
Anchored in Kenya, the Umoja cable
route will pass through Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, including the Google Cloud
region, before crossing the Indian Ocean to Australia. Umoja’s
terrestrial path was built in collaboration with Liquid Technologies to form a
highly scalable route through Africa, including access points that will allow
other countries to take advantage of the network.
Umoja, which is the Swahili word for
unity, joins Equiano in
an initiative called Africa Connect. Umoja will enable African countries to
more reliably connect with each other and the rest of the world. Establishing a
new route distinct from existing connectivity routes is critical to maintaining
a resilient network for a region that has historically experienced high-impact
outages.
“Access to the latest technology,
supported by reliable and resilient digital infrastructure, is critical to
growing economic opportunity. This is a meaningful moment for Kenya’s digital
transformation journey and the benefits of today’s announcement will cascade
across the region.” -
Meg Whitman, U.S. Ambassador to Kenya
"I am delighted to welcome
Google’s investment in digital connectivity, marking a historic milestone for
Kenya, Africa, and Australia. The new intercontinental fiber optic route will
significantly enhance our global and regional digital infrastructure. This
initiative is crucial in ensuring the redundancy and resilience of our region’s
connectivity to the rest of the world, especially in light of recent
disruptions caused by cuts to sub-sea cables. By strengthening our digital
backbone, we are not only improving reliability but also paving the way for
increased digital inclusion, innovation, and economic opportunities for our
people and businesses." - H.E. Dr. William S. Ruto, President of the Republic
of Kenya
“Diversifying Australia’s
connectivity and supporting digital inclusion across the globe are both
incredibly important objectives, and Google’s Umoja cable will help to do just
that. Australia welcomes Google’s investment and congratulates all those
involved in undertaking this crucial initiative.” - Hon Michelle Rowland MP,
Australian Minister for Communications
“Africa’s major cities including
Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, and Harare will no longer be
hard-to-reach endpoints remote from the coastal landing sites that connect
Africa to the world. They are now stations on a data superhighway that can
carry thousands of times more traffic than currently reaches here. I am proud
that this project helps us deliver a digitally connected future that leaves no
African behind, regardless of how far they are from the technology centers of
the world.” -
Strive Masiyiwa, Chairman and founder of Liquid
In addition to today’s
infrastructure announcement, Google will sign a Statement of Collaboration with
Kenya’s Ministry of Information Communications and The Digital Economy to
accelerate joint efforts in cybersecurity, growing data-driven innovation,
digital upskilling, and responsibly and safely deploying AI for societal
benefits.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
