Africa Connects to the World

 (MAP: Internet penetration worldwide, 2012; dark is most/Wikipedia)(HN, 4/8/12) - Slow Internet connections could soon become a thing of the past in West Africa when 2 underwater fiber-optic cables are laid from Europe down the western coast of Africa in mid-2012. The cables will bring faster, more reliable & likely cheaper broadband Internet to Cameroon, Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone & 15 other countries along the Atlantic coast of Africa; several getting broadband access for the first time.  8 West African countries, are already connected via the older, slower SAT-3 cable & the Nigeria-based MainOne cable, which came online in mid-2010.  Governments & private telecoms, like MTN & France Telecom, are paying the bill of more than $600-million bills for each cable.  Eastern & Southern Africa are a few years ahead as a 2nd underwater cable, SEACOM, went online on that side of the continent in July 2009.  Hundreds of millions of dollars of terrestrial cables must also be built to connect rural areas and landlocked countries, like Mali & Niger, to the submarine network.  The Africa Coast to Europe, or ACE, cable will stretch 17,000 kilometers & land in 20 countries on its way from France to South Africa. The West Africa Cable system, or WACS, will measure 14,000 kilometers & hit 13 countries between London & South Africa.  The WACS cable alone is expected to increase connectivity by more than 20% on the continent. (Read more at VOA)