Google expands connectivity In Africa with Umoja
To help increase the reach and reliability of digital connectivity for Africa, Google has announced Umoja, the first ever fiber optic route to directly connect Africa with Australia.
Anchored in Kenya, the Umoja cable route will pass through Uganda, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, including the Google Cloud region, before crossing the Indian Ocean to Australia. Umoja’s terrestrial path was built in collaboration with Liquid Technologies to form a highly scalable route through Africa, including access points that will allow other countries to take advantage of the network.
Umoja, which is the Swahili word for unity, joins Equiano in an initiative called Africa Connect. Umoja will enable African countries to more reliably connect with each other and the rest of the world. Establishing a new route distinct from existing connectivity routes is critical to maintaining a resilient network for a region that has historically experienced high-impact outages.
“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.
“Access to the latest technology, supported by reliable and resilient digital infrastructure, is critical to growing economic opportunity. This is a meaningful moment for Kenya’s digital transformation journey and the benefits of today’s announcement will cascade across the region,” said Meg Whitman, U.S. Ambassador to Kenya
Also commenting on the development, Dr. William S. Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, said: “I am delighted to welcome Google’s investment in digital connectivity, marking a historic milestone for Kenya, Africa, and Australia. The new intercontinental fiber 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.”
“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 centers of the world,” says Strive Masiyiwa, Chairman and founder of Liquid.
In addition to the infrastructure announcement, Google will sign a Statement of Collaboration with Kenya’s Ministry of Information Communications and The Digital Economy to accelerate joint efforts in cybersecurity, growing data-driven innovation, digital upskilling, and responsibly and safely deploying AI for societal benefits.
As part of the collaboration, Google Cloud and Kenya are announcing that they intend to work together on strengthening Kenya’s cybersecurity. The Department of Immigration & Citizen Services is evaluating Google Cloud’s CyberShield solution and Mandiant expertise to strengthen the defense of its eCitizen platform.
CyberShield enables governments to build enhanced cyberthreat capabilities, protect web-facing infrastructure, and helps teams develop skills and processes that drive effective security operations.
Google has long recognized the critical role investments in secure technology infrastructure have on connecting communities, expanding education, and driving healthy economic development within Africa and around the world.
Google is as committed as ever to partnering with communities, businesses, and governments in Africa to help foster even more innovation across the continent, and we are excited about this next chapter for Kenya and the region.
