21 November 2024
The Somali government is working on developing a unified fibre optic deployment policy to coordinate and facilitate the installation of this infrastructure, as well as its expansion across the country..jpg?lu=186)
"The unified optical fibre deployment policy aims to guide national telecommunications companies to collaborate in the installation and expansion of optical fibre cables. This initiative will help reduce the costs associated with the deployment and expansion of optical fibre infrastructure, while promoting the growth of the modern digital economy and national interconnection,” said the Ministry of Communications and Technology.
In its ‘Digital Economy Diagnostic – Somalia’ report published in March 2024, the World Bank highlighted that the country’s domestic fibre optic network remains largely underdeveloped and fragmented. Only isolated segments have been deployed by sub-regional operators, while cross-border connections remain weak. Despite Somalia’s connection to five international submarine cables and the planned arrival of a sixth in 2025, this deficient infrastructure hampers the equitable distribution of available capacity.
The densification of the national fibre optic network, which is expected to result from the implementation of the policy, can therefore contribute to improving the quality and coverage of the internet in Somalia.
