Meta and a consortium of global and regional telcos announced completion and activation of the core 2Africa subsea cable system — the longest open-access subsea cable to date — linking East and West Africa and connecting Africa to the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe.
The system spans 33 countries, covers three continents, and is designed to serve ~3 billion people, including Africa’s 1.4 billion residents.
Why it matters
- Massive capacity boost. 2Africa brings more subsea capacity to the continent than all of Africa’s existing subsea cables combined — promising faster, cheaper, more reliable internet.
- Enables AI, cloud and digital services. Built for scale and reliability, the cable is positioned to support next-gen cloud/AI experiences across Africa.
- Economic impact. Better connectivity can accelerate digital inclusion, create new digital jobs, help SMEs reach new customers and boost cross-border commerce.
Key details
- The system is open-access by design, so multiple providers can connect and offer services.
- Meta framed the project as foundational infrastructure for both consumer internet improvements (faster downloads, lower latency) and enterprise/cloud services.
- Launch event attendees included national ministers and telecom regulators from several African countries, plus senior industry leaders from partner organisations.
- An awards and symbolic cable “light-up” ceremony recognised consortium contributors.
What They’re Saying
- Kojo Boakye, VP, Public Policy, Africa, Middle East & Türkiye, Meta: “The completion of 2Africa is a monumental achievement… unlocking new opportunities for millions of Africans, empowering businesses and helping to accelerate economic growth.”
- Alex-Handrah Aime, VP, Network Investments, Meta: “We built 2Africa to be open by design… Under the surface, it’s engineered for scale, reliability and to power the next wave of cloud and AI experiences. Above the surface, it’s about everyday impact — from a student downloading a textbook in seconds to small businesses reaching new customers online.”
The tradeoffs / caveats
- Access ≠ adoption. Subsea capacity reduces infrastructure bottlenecks, but terrestrial networks, last-mile connectivity, local data centers and affordability remain barriers to universal access.
- Competition & policy. Open access increases wholesale capacity options, but regulators and local providers will shape how quickly end users benefit.
- Geopolitics & vendor choices. Large infrastructure projects can raise questions about control, data flows and long-term maintenance — all of which will influence outcomes.
What’s next
- Operators, ISPs and regional governments will need to upgrade terrestrial links, peering arrangements and local data infrastructure to convert cable capacity into user-facing gains.
- Expect new cloud, AI and content services to emerge in markets where latency and bandwidth materially improve.
- Watch for pricing shifts in wholesale bandwidth and new partnerships aimed at getting underserved regions online.
Fast facts
- Longest open-access subsea cable currently in operation.
- 33 countries connected across three continents.
- Designed to serve ~3 billion people, including 1.4 billion in Africa.
- Consortium includes Meta, Bayobab (MTN Group), Orange, center3, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group, WIOCC, and others.
