A $3 million investment in networking equipment and the activation of a subcontinental undersea fibre cable is a massive boost for Sudan, where a civil war has devastated telecommunications infrastructure. 

The fibre project, which has recently gone live, is the brainchild of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), under the aegis of the Port Sudan to Douala (Cameroon) Corridor.

It aims to ensure land-locked countries in Central and West Africa are connected to undersea cables.

The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), a global network of organisations that work together to provide shared communications services in humanitarian emergencies, has invested in the networking equipment.

Following the PIDA project, ETC is rolling out a fibre internet service to be accessible to users in Port Sudan by end of this week, then to be available to key accessible locations in Damazine, Dongola, El Gedaref, Kassala and Khartoum – Sudan’s capital city.

Some planned locations, such as Kosti, however, are on hold due to intensified fighting and evacuations.

Richard Egwangu, ETC regional coordinator, said fibre was a notable upgrade that would significantly boost high-speed internet connectivity, enhancing communication and data exchange capabilities for the humanitarian community.

"Crucially, it will also reduce dependency on current satellite communication services," he said.

ETC is supporting the establishment of multiple operational hubs across Sudan, where the humanitarian community is battling to save lives. The hubs will serve as joint operation centres for the humanitarian community.

Following an outbreak of war in early 2023, telecommunications services have been severely disrupted and infrastructure remains compromised.

Consequently, Sudan relies heavily on satellite communication services. The country's woes have roots in the overthrow of the then president, Omar Al-Bashir, in 2019.