The project of Trans-Sahara Optical Fibre Backbone is included within the “New Partnership for Africa’s Development”(NEPAD). It links six countries: Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Mali and Mauritania.
This project brings high added value and significant economic profitability. Its stakeholders aspire to overpass linking with the internet to the emergence of a digital economy in the concerned countries. Besides, this link is a worthwhile basic asset likely to back up complementarily initiatives among Africa’s economies namely Algeria’s neighbouring countries.
Furthermore, this will contribute to reduce development disparities amid African countries and beyond, by encouraging the non connected youth to innovate and promote their products and services in the world, pursuant to Development Goals n° 9 and 10 as stipulated by the United Nationals in the action plan 2030.
To coordinate and follow up this project’s works, a commission called “The Commission of the Trans-Sahara Optical Fibre Backbone” (CLDT) has been created and headquartered in Algeria.
This commission is held responsible for examining and carrying out this backbone in the territories of the member States, its main missions consist in:
- helping to seek funding from national, regional and international enterprises,
- coordinating and ensuring consistency of the project’s steps among the member States,
- exchanging expertise in the development of a digital economy among the member States,
- collecting and exchanging technical, economic and scientific data with the countries and enterprises that are interested in this project, based on the spirit of political, social and economic commitments of these countries.
For this purpose, Algeria has finished the backbone’s works on its territories according to the international certified standards, technically and environmentally. In fact, 2548km of fiber optic have been achieved to link Algiers and In Guezzam on the Algerian-Nigerian borders, in addition to the extension of a branch line till Tindouf on the Algerian-Mauritanian border.
As for the rest of countries, this project is proceeding steadily as coordination is underway among the concerned countries as part of the commission’s works to define the tracks as well as to seek the appropriate funding options.
Through this structuring project, Algeria seeks to be a regional pole in telecoms and ITCs. It also aspires to sustain the partner countries in achieving this backbone on the remaining parts on its territories. Algeria calls the countries that do not have any coast to exploit the capacities of the international broadband acquired thanks to the submarine cables connecting it to the international network.