Africa, the least connected continent in the World in terms of internet coverage, only a quarter of its population can connect to the rest of the World. Facebook is on a grand plan to connect Africa to the rest of the World. It’s making an effort to bring 1.3 billion African population online. The dream to join the continent to the rest of the World via the internet will have been accomplished by building a massive underwater cable across Africa.
Africa gets a share
The company has partnered with various network providers like MTN in South Africa, China mobile, Orange in France, Vodafone in Britain, and other local network operators to make the project a reality.
Wondering how long the cables will get? Facebook claims that it will cover approximately 37,000 kilometers, which is almost equal to Earth’s circumference. Building the Subsea cable assigned to Alcatel Submarine Networks, a Nokia-owned cable system provider. However, it is not clear on the funding Facebook, and its partners have set aside for the project.
The Subsea cable will interconnect Europe, the Middle East, and 23 countries in Africa. The social media company states that it will,
“provide nearly three times the total network capacity of all the sub-sea cables serving Africa.”
The efficiency of the Material used
Aluminum is more efficient compared to the copper fibers as it helps increase network capacity. Using Aluminum, therefore, made the 2Africa project efficient, Facebook said. For more than a decade, there haven’t been developed a cross-link between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. Facebook will be the first to develop a crossing linking the Red Sea and the Mediterranean ever since.
“2Africa is a continuation of our ongoing efforts to expand global network infrastructure,” Facebook said.
The company has collaborated with various partners in the World to build many Subsea fiber-optic cables. These fiber-optic cables are leading the industry in terms of flexibility, capacity, and reach.
The biggest challenge now is the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic will significantly Africa could be significantly impacted by the pandemic if not contained. The WHO approximates 190,000 deaths in a year if they do not find a cure.
Project Loon
Google, the web search titan, is also underway connecting Africa and Europe. The company is working on an underwater cable known as Equiano. They also have another unit known as Loon for rural communities. Loon makes high-altitude balloons to deliver 4G internet. Its new plan is to expand the scheme to Mozambique.
The Death of Aquila
Facebook also had grand plans for remote areas. The idea was to connect remote areas to the internet by using solar-powered drones, Aquila. The company dismissed the project back in 2018. However, they have reportedly been working with Airbus to test the drones in Australia. There might be hope for remote areas.
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