Djibouti Telecom, Ethio Telecom and Sudatel sign tripartite agreement for Horizon Fiber Initiative

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye

Djibouti Telecom, Ethio Telecom and Sudatel have signed a tripartite strategic agreement under the Horizon Fiber Initiative, formalising the next phase of implementation for a high-capacity cross-border terrestrial fibre corridor linking Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan.

Signed on February 4, 2026, the agreement marks a major milestone in regional digital connectivity, enabling the deployment of multi-terabit optical fibre infrastructure that will connect Djibouti’s international submarine cable landing stations through Ethiopia and onward to Sudan’s landing stations. The corridor is designed to enhance international bandwidth capacity, improve network resilience and redundancy, and diversify connectivity beyond traditional subsea routes.

The Horizon Fiber Initiative aims to support the rapidly growing demand for data, cloud services, digital platforms and cross-border connectivity across East Africa and neighbouring regions. By leveraging the complementary infrastructure assets and operational expertise of the three operators, the project will deliver carrier-grade, low-latency international connectivity, diversified and secure cross-border routes, and improved service reliability for telecom operators, enterprises and hyperscale customers.

The agreement is the culmination of nearly two years of coordinated work among the partners, following a memorandum of understanding signed in Addis Ababa on December 4, 2024. Technical teams from the three operators led the process, focusing on building scalable and resilient infrastructure capable of delivering faster and more reliable connectivity.

The operators said the initiative represents a practical model for Africa-to-Africa collaboration, demonstrating how regional carriers can jointly develop high-availability routes that unlock new value for the continent’s digital economy while strengthening connectivity between the Red Sea region and inland markets.

Chief executives of the partnering organisations noted that the Horizon Fiber Initiative reflects a shared commitment to regional cooperation, digital transformation and the development of a robust communications backbone to support economic growth and digital inclusion across the region.