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Google is planning four new infrastructure hubs in Africa to connect its latest underwater fibre-optic cables for the continent, the company’s Africa managing director Alex Okosi said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.
The hubs, which usually comprise the critical infrastructure for subsea cables such as landing stations and data centers, will connect the cables to the north, west, south, and east of Africa.
Google did not say which African cities will host the hubs, and it is yet unclear if any Nigerian city will be considered.
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“The funding will be coming from Google,” said Okosi, declining to provide specifics on costs. He added that the hubs were “new investments” and that the tech giant had “definitely surpassed” the $1 billion it pledged to spend in Africa in 2021 over the subsequent five years.
The new infrastructure should improve internet access in Africa, where connectivity is patchy, expensive and prone to disruptionwhen the subsea telecommunications cables that service the continent are damaged.
Google plans to land its two newest cables, Equiano and Umoja, on the continent this year, Okosi said.
The hubs are expected to be completed within the next three years, and could make it cheaper for potential partners such as telecommunications companies MTN Group Ltd. and Vodacom Group Ltd. to offer broadband to customers, he said.
Africa is home to the fastest-growing and youngest population globally, which is increasingly hungry for improved access to technology such as artificial intelligence.
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Microsoft Corp. is planning a $1 billion geothermal-powered data center in Kenya and said it is also spending close to $300 million to build out its artificial intelligence capacity in South Africa.
Okosi said Africa offered a huge opportunity in AI.
“For us it is how do we make sure that we are investing in Africa to make sure that the AI opportunity is realized,” he said.
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