According to Google subsea cable Map, Google’s fibre optic cable has been coming from Kenya, passes through Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia, Zimbabwe, and with Google Cloud Region in Johannesburg, the fibre optic cables stopped in South Africa.
Now, Google has announced Umoja subsea cable to connect Africa with Australia. The subsea cable will be connected to Google Cloud Region in Johannesburg, South Africa and passes through Indian Ocean’s sea bed to Australia. Umoja subsea cable will be the first internet fabric optic cable connecting the continents of Africa and Australia.
Google’s announcement comes on the heels of widespread internet outages across Africa continent, caused by faulty undersea cables. As a company dependent on robust connectivity to provide services to consumers and businesses, Google is evidently aiming to leverage this situation to present itself as the solution.
This Google’s new investments in digital infrastructure and security initiatives is aimed at boosting digital connectivity, accelerating economic growth, and enhancing resilience throughout Africa. “To help increase the reach and reliability of digital connectivity for Africa, today we’re announcing Umoja, the first ever fiber optic route to directly connect Africa with Australia,” said Google in a blogpost.
Umoja’s terrestrial network, from Kenya to South Africa, was developed in partnership with Liquid Technologies, creating a highly scalable route through Africa. This network includes multiple access points, enabling other countries to connect and benefit from the enhanced infrastructure.
By collaborating with Liquid Technologies, Umoja has established a robust and adaptable digital pathway, which significantly improves connectivity options for numerous African nations, facilitating better communication, economic growth, and technological advancement across the continent.
Additionally, Google has already invested in several cabling projects focused on Africa, such as the Equiano cable, which connects Portugal with Nigeria and South Africa. Earlier this year, Google also revealed plans to construct one of the first subsea cables linking South America with the Asia-Pacific region. This new cable will be routed from Chile to Australia, passing through French Polynesia.
In response to the project, Google shows its gratitude to leaders across Africa and Australia for the co-actions effort they’re willing to render. “We are grateful for the partnership from leaders across Africa and Australia to deliver Africa Connect to people, businesses, and governments in Africa and around the world,” said Google.
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Umoja, the Swahili word that simply means “unity,” joins the Equiano cable in an initiative known as Africa Connect. However, it’s important to let you know that the full repairs to the damaged internet cables in the Red Sea are being significantly delayed due to political divisions within Yemen. These internal conflicts are hindering efforts to restore the vital connectivity infrastructure.
It also worth noting that the entire process of constructing a submarine cable, from planning to becoming operational, typically takes about three years. Therefore, we can tentatively anticipate that the Umoja cable will be ready by approximately 2026. Although, Google has not given a specific completion date for the Umoja subsea cable project.