Google’s Subsea Cable, Equiano Lands In Lagos
At last, the much expected Google’s subsea cable, Equiano, to help improve internet speed has landed in Lagos, Nigeria.
Google’s West Africa Director, Juliet Ehimuan disclosed to Channels TV saying it will be deployed later this year to deliver up to 20 times more capacity than the region currently has.
The cable is named after Olaudah Equiano, a Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist, and it will run from Portugal along Africa’s west coast to South Africa.
Nigeria is sub-Saharan Africa’s largest economy but the share of people using the internet stood at approximately 35 per cent as of 2020 – double what it was in 2012. Across much of the country, people lack affordable, reliable & quality access, which limits their ability to benefit from, and contribute to, the digital economy,” Ehimuan said.
Since 2017, the Nigerian government has been actively working on its digital transformation programs as part of plans to grow its domestic sectors.
“These initiatives have proven pivotal to the success of many industries in the country, especially the startup space. In the last five years, startups in Nigeria have produced five unicorns (startups valued at over a billion dollars). Businesses are also benefiting significantly from the usage of internet platforms, with total e-commerce annual expenditure predicted to climb to $75 billion by 2025, up from its current projection of US $12 billion.
“Though a great deal of progress has been made, it is believed that faster internet connections, better user experiences, and reduced internet costs will help accelerate these benefits.
“We’ve worked with established partners and in-country experts to ensure that Equiano has the greatest potential effect in Nigeria and throughout Africa.
A recent economic impact assessment conducted by Africa Practice and Genesis Analytics states that Equiano’s arrival in Nigeria is expected to result in faster internet speeds and significantly improve people’s experiences while online. Internet speeds in Nigeria are expected to grow almost sixfold by 2025, and retail internet prices are forecasted to decline by 21 per cent over the same period. The same study found that by 2025, real GDP in Nigeria is forecast to be USD 10.1 billion higher than it otherwise would have been without Equiano and that the cable would indirectly generate roughly 1.6 million new jobs between 2022 and 2025.
Google will partner with multiple key telecom players, including its landing party, the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), where Equiano lands to ensure that the cable reach more businesses and end-users across Nigeria and the African continent mend-users
“With Equiano, we look forward to being an even more integral part of the digital transformation journey in Nigeria’, she said.
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