Google Introduces Equiano Subsea Cable

Google has introduced a new private subsea cable, Equiano, which will connect Africa and Europe.

The cable it set to run from Portugal, along the West Coast of Africa and down to South Africa. Branching units will be used to extend connectivity to various countries, first off Nigeria.

The cable is fully funded by Google. It is the firm’s third international cable and has been named after Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist Olaudah Equiano. According to Google it will have roughly 20 times more network capacity that the last cable built in the region and is the first subsea cable to incorporate optical switching at the fibre-pair level.

Google signed a contract with Alcatel Submarine Networks to build the cable last year. The first phase of the project, which will connect Portugal with South Africa is scheduled for completion in 2021.