Orange, Airtel Landed 2Africa Submarine Cable in DRC off Muanda Through Joint Venture Mawezi RDC SA

2Africa will be the world's largest submarine cable project, connecting 33 countries from 2023 onwards and bringing faster, more reliable Internet service to every country where it is installed.

Muanda, September 21, 2023, brought together around Meta (formerly Facebook), the 2Africa consortium - made up of telecom operators China Mobile International, Bayobab (formerly MTN Global Connect), Orange, center3 (formerly stc), Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC - has laid the 2Africa cable in the Democratic Republic of Congo, off Muanda in the Kongo-Central province.

2Africa will be the world's largest submarine cable project, connecting 33 countries from 2023 onwards and bringing faster, more reliable Internet service to every country where it is installed.

The arrival in Muanda follows successful African landings earlier this year in Port Said in Egypt; Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo; and Nacala, Mozambique.

This submarine cable will connect more than three billion people across three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe), offering an economic potential that should ultimately increase tenfold, boosting data transfer and developing business opportunities in the Democratic Republic of Congo and throughout Africa.

Mawezi RDC SA, the result of an alliance between Orange DRC and Airtel Congo RDC SA, is the landing partner for the Democratic Republic of Congo and is responsible for obtaining all the various authorizations prior to landing the cable, building the landing station and operating the station in open access mode, so that all Internet players can benefit from these additional international capacities. Today marks an important milestone for the 2Africa project in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is a key piece of infrastructure for the country's digital transformation and its connection to the rest of the world.

Mawezi RDC SA has partnered with Meta, the landing party for the 2Africa submarine cable in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a stakeholder, Meta was the main investor in the planning and preparation for the arrival and operation of the cable in the DRC.

Laetitia Molasoko N'Singa, Managing Director of Mawezi RDC SA, said: "I am extremely proud to see this project come to life. It will improve access to broadband Internet and accelerate the ambitions of His Excellency Mr. Felix Antoine Tshisekedi's National Digital Plan."

Through this partnership, Orange DRC and Airtel Congo RDC SA reinforce their ambition to improve digital inclusion and development in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

September 21, 2023