Somalia Federal Government president with African Union delegation on October 25, 2013., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Somalia to Get High-Speed Internet After Satellite Deals
By Chris Spillane - Nov 13, 2013
Somalia will have access to high-speed telecommunications networks after agreeing to two deals that will connect the Horn of Africa nation to fiber optic cables and satellites.
O3b Networks Ltd., a satellite provider that includes Google Inc. (GOOG) and HSBC Principal Investments among its investors, will provide Internet capacity to Hargeisa, Somalia-based Somtel from 2014, the company said in a statement today.
“At present, connectivity is neither reliable nor adequate in Somalia,” Somtel Chief Technology Officer Ismail Dualeh said in the statement. “The O3b solution will give Somtel the chance to bring vastly improved Internet connectivity with better performance.”
Somalia’s first fiber optic broadband link will be built by Mauritius-based Liquid Telecom, the company said in a statement yesterday.
The build out of communication networks in the country has been hampered by conflict since the 1991 fall from power of Mohamed Siad Barre’s dictatorship.
To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Spillane in Johannesburg at cspillane3@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong at kwong11@bloomberg.net
1 comment:
I really like that O3B is so committed to providing internet to countries and places that might not otherwise be able to experience it. The internet in itself is revolutionary and some may argue even essential for humans today. In a place like Somalia, which is known for being a dangerous war zone. I hope they provide disaster recovery internet for when things get bad. The internet can help connect people together and communicate especially when loved ones become injured or go missing.
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