Google has announced the launch of Umoja, the first-ever fibre optic cable directly connecting Africa to Australia, as part of Google’s Africa Connect project, aimed at enhancing digital connectivity and infrastructure across the continent.
Umoja, meaning “unity” in Swahili, joins Google’s Equiano cable in bolstering Africa Connect. This new route will provide more reliable connectivity for African countries and establish a resilient network essential for a region historically affected by high-impact outages.
VP of Global Network Infrastructure at Google Cloud, Brian Quigley, stated during the announcement, “we are excited to announce Umoja, a new fibre optic cable connecting Africa to Australia, and our expanded cybersecurity collaboration with Kenya, furthering our commitment to Africa’s digital transformation.” He added, “we are grateful for the partnership from leaders across Africa and Australia to deliver Africa Connect to people, businesses, and governments worldwide.”
Kenya’s President William Ruto expressed delight at Google’s investment in digital connectivity, which marks a historic milestone for Kenya, Africa, and Australia. The president stated, “the new intercontinental fibre optic route will significantly enhance our global and regional digital infrastructure. This initiative is crucial in ensuring the redundancy and resilience of our region’s connectivity to the rest of the world, especially in light of recent disruptions caused by cuts to sub-sea cables. By strengthening our digital backbone, we are not only improving reliability but also paving the way for increased digital inclusion, innovation, and economic opportunities for our people and businesses.”
The Umoja cable will be anchored in Kenya and will traverse Uganda, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, including the Google Cloud region, before crossing the Indian Ocean to Australia. Built in collaboration with Liquid Technologies, this terrestrial path forms a route through Africa with multiple access points for other countries to connect to the network.
Chairman and Founder of Liquid Technologies, Strive Masiyiwa, summarized the impact, saying, “Africa’s major cities including Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, Lubumbashi, Lusaka, and Harare will no longer be hard-to-reach endpoints remote from the coastal landing sites that connect Africa to the world. They are now stations on a data superhighway that can carry thousands of times more traffic than currently reaches here. I am proud that this project helps us deliver a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind, regardless of how far they are from the technology centres of the world.”
Australian Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland MP, added, “diversifying Australia’s connectivity and supporting digital inclusion across the globe are both incredibly important objectives, and Google’s Umoja cable will help to do just that. Australia welcomes Google’s investment and congratulates all those involved in undertaking this crucial initiative.”
In addition to the infrastructure announcement, Google will sign a Statement of Collaboration with Kenya’s Ministry of Information Communications and The Digital Economy. This collaboration aims to accelerate joint efforts in cybersecurity, foster data-driven innovation, enhance digital upskilling, and responsibly deploy AI for societal benefits. Part of the collaboration includes strengthening the Citizen platform through Google Cloud and Kenya’s joint efforts.
The International Finance Corporation reports that Africa’s internet economy could grow to $180 billion by 2025, representing 5.2% of the continent’s GDP. Investments like Umoja, combined with the development of digital talent, will help citizens access government services and critical information while enabling businesses to thrive, thus generating durable economic growth for the local economy.
