MainOne has started working on its commitment to deepen broadband access across West Africa via fibre infrastructure and data centres, following the issuance of a submarine cable landing licence to MainOne by the government of Cote D’Ivoire.
The frontline Nigerian broadband company and data centre operator is set to do exploits in that country with the launch of a data centre facility. MainOne said the data centre will be located at the Grand-Bassam technology free trade zone, VITIB.
The choice, according to the company, is strategic and will enhance regional integration and global access. It is also said to have the capability to strengthen the digital ecosystem in the zone and attract more businesses and Foreign Direct Investment, FDI to the region. MainOne’s current exploits mean that it will be delivering service in over 10 countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Cameroun, Benin, Niger, Senegal and Chad.
With that, MainOne which prides itself as operating up to 10 Tbps international submarine cable system with highly reliable connectivity, will claim a bragging right to supporting the growing demand for Internet access and bandwidth-intensive applications such as eCommerce, Content providers, OTT players and electronic banking and payment services across Africa.
MainOne has just announced it is on schedule to land submarine broadband cable and launch services in Abidjan by October 2019. The company’s Regional Executive, Kazeem Oladepo, said MainOne has made significant progress in the project implementation process, adding that all critical surveys have been completed, and work is ongoing at the Cable Landing Station and Data Centre in Abidjan. Oladepo, at the company’s Annual General Meeting in Abidjan, said members of the Board of Directors of the Group visited the VITIB location to observe the on-going construction of the data centre and the cable landing station.
The data centre and landing station will provide the necessary infrastructure to support the growth of the broadband ecosystem in Cote d’Ivoire and the Francophone region and improve Internet access in the region. He also said it will reduce bandwidth prices and make digital services more accessible.
“By investing in this infrastructure, we hope to bring meaningful and much-needed technology solutions to businesses and enable them in their quest for improved productivity and efficiency through dedicated and reliable connectivity services. We are prepared to collaborate with operators to expand capacity in Cote d’Ivoire and neighbouring countries to enhance regional integration and global access,” he said.
