Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication Mário Oliveira. Pic: International Telecommunications Union

Angola’s Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication Mário Oliveira has praised Liquid Dataport for supporting the long-term growth of African economies, through connectivity.

The minister said this at the unveiling of a new Liquid Dataport and Angola Telecom terrestrial fibre route between Luanda, Angola to Johannesburg, South Africa. The route runs via DRC, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

With this investment, Liquid Dataport and Angola Telecom say they have enabled Angola with access to high-speed connectivity, offering the country direct commerce corridors.

In addition, the two companies say they will also provide enterprises and SMEs in the country with direct connectivity to data centres in Johannesburg.

The new route is in addition to Liquid’s regional fibre backbone of 110,000 km.

Commenting on the development, Oliveira said: “We understand the crucial role played by public-private partnerships, and that is why we have new laws in place that support and offer attractive incentives for international players, like Liquid Dataport, that help drive our national focus towards the IT-driven modernisation of Angola.

“The partnership between Angola Telecom and Liquid Dataport has also allowed us to enjoy seamless connectivity with other countries in COMESA and South Africa, supporting long-term growth in our economies”.

David Eurin, CEO, Liquid Dataport, commented: “Our continuous investment into our ‘One Africa Digital Network’ provides customers with access to major data centres in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and now Angola, ensuring that African data never has to leave our shores.

“Our unwavering dedication to expanding the horizons of connectivity in Africa will empower businesses to unlock unprecedented opportunities for growth, collaborate on a global scale, and harness the immense potential of digital technologies.”

For Adilson Dos Santos, CEO of Angola Telecom, there is a conscious drive towards making the Internet more widespread, as currently, the penetration in Angola is only five million people.

Dos Santos said: “Angola Telecom and Liquid Dataport have been able to work seamlessly for over two years with each other, as we are working towards a common goal. Through our national rural telecommunication plan, we want to ensure that connectivity is available to citizens in the most remote parts of the country. We are excited to see the fruits of this partnership lead to increased contribution of the ICT sector to national gross domestic product.”