Broadband telecom service provider Dalkom Somalia has secured a €12 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to connect the country to a new submarine fiber optic system, the 2Africa cable. Part of the money will also finance the deployment of the first segment of a new national fiber optic backbone that will interconnect Mogadishu to other regions of the country.
Somalia's Minister of posts, telecommunications and technology, Abdi Ashur Hassan, had deemed Dalkom Somalia's interest in the 2Africa system as an opportunity to create new economic opportunities. Dalkom has already connected Somalia to several undersea fiber optic systems, including the East African Submarine System (EASSy), the Europe India Gateway (EIG) undersea cable, and the West African Submarine System (WACS), but the demand for high-speed connectivity has continued to grow.
To EIB, Connecting Somalia to the new submarine system will "significantly improve Somalia's digital infrastructure by diversifying the country's international connectivity and enabling the expansion of broadband networks into previously underserved areas. The project has various socio-economic benefits derived from Somalia's digital transformation, post-Covid-19 recovery, and enhanced cross-sector economic resilience."