The project will interconnect the national broadband backbones of ECCAS Member States at their borders, creating direct high-capacity links between neighbouring countries and connecting the region more effectively to submarine cable landing points. It is intended to reduce communication costs, retain regional traffic and expenditure within Central Africa, improve network resilience and support a more integrated regional digital market.
Regional project under PIDA PAP 2 (2021-2030) to provide and strengthen each ECCAS Member State with high bandwidth fiber optic connectivity and establish a sub-regional data hosting centre in the ECCAS space. The project covers all 11 ECCAS member states (Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Sao Tome and Principe) and aims to create a comprehensive broadband backbone network across Central Africa. The initiative builds on prior work undertaken by the World Bank, PPIAF, and the ITU to address connectivity gaps in the ECCAS sub-region and renew momentum for ECCAS and CEMAC harmonization efforts. Core objectives include securing regional cyberspace, building digital trust, ensuring data sovereignty, and enabling cross-border connectivity. The ECCAS region faces significant ICT access deficits, with only 10.2 internet access lines per 1,000 inhabitants compared to 61.8 for the continent as a whole.
Ce programme vise l'interconnexion des Etats membres de la CEEAC, deux à deux, à partir des dernières chambres des backbones nationaux vers les frontières
Provide high bandwidth fiber optic connectivity to all 11 ECCAS Member States; Create sub-regional data hosting capabilities for Central Africa; Secure regional cyberspace and build digital trust; Ensure digital sovereignty for ECCAS member states; Enhance regional integration through shared broadband infrastructure; Support cross-border connectivity and digital services; Enable digital transformation across Central Africa; Reduce connectivity costs and improve service quality; Address connectivity gaps in the ECCAS sub-region by building on work already undertaken by the World Bank, PPIAF, and the ITU; Renew momentum for ECCAS and CEMAC harmonization efforts in the ICT sector.
Original PIDA PAP 2 submission - Objective and Rationale
Justification du projet
L'absence d'interconnexion ou tout au moins l'insuffisance d'interconnexion des réseaux de transmission numérique des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale a été identifiée comme le ventre MoU de la CEEAC. Cette situation est à l'origine :
- des tarifs de communications élevés dans la sous-région ;
- du contournement du trafic de la sous-région vers d'autres backbone ;
- de la perte des opportunités liées aux externalités de réseaux ;
- de la perte des devises dans la sous-région...
Objectifs
- Avoir mis en place les fibres optiques de transport nécessaires à la connexion de tous les Etats membres de la CEEAC à au moins un Câble sous-marin et/ou un point d'atterrissement ;
- Avoir mis en place les fibres optiques de transport nécessaires à l'établissement des liaisons haut débit d'interconnexion directe, deux à deux, d'au moins 10 pays de la CEEAC.