Subsea cables are the global backbone of the Internet, connecting people, businesses, and economies around the world. Subsea cables are strategically important and as such, they are considered as part of the critical infrastructure of countries. Access to subsea cables has an undeniable impact on economic growth, increase in GDP and employment. Yet, many land-locked countries are deprived from these increased opportunities due to insufficient cross-border connectivity that is often very expensive.
In this session, we explored the integral role of cross-border connectivity to access sub-sea cables in bridging the digital divide growing between coastal countries and landlocked countries in Africa.
Organized by the African IXP Association and the Internet Society, the Virtual Peering Series – Africa is a collection of online events that highlight and analyze key issues and recent developments in Africa’s Internet ecosystem. The Series has been developed by the AfPIF Program Committee and event organizers.