By Issa Sikiti da Silva
Individual and corporate bodies in Libreville and Port-Gentil, Gabon’s two largest cities, will soon travel in the fast lane of the internet highway thanks to Airtel Gabon, which is about to link the two cities to the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) fibre optic network.
“This broadband infrastructure is similar to a high-speed train or highway that will allow us to further develop ICTs in Gabon, and at the same time boost digital platforms of e-health, e-learning, e-commerce, e-government, among others,” Airtel Gabon CEO Hervé-Olivier Njapoum told the press last week in the capital Libreville.
A submarine cable measuring 187 km long with a capacity of 10Gb per second and a 21 km of land cable between Libreville to Port-Gentil are currently available in this section, Alex Bongo, head of the country’s digital infrastructure body, said.
The 17 000 km-long ACE network not only passes through 13 countries, but also has the potential of routing traffic between Europe and Asia via Africa.
The 13 countries are Gabon, France, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Portugal, Liberia, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, and Sao Tome & Principe.
The mobile operator said the latest project will improve the quality of coverage, reduce the digital divide and reduce internet prices in this Central African nation, among others.
