The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has joined forces with pan-African technology firm CSquared Link Holdings (Mauritius) Ltd (CSquared) to aid digital connectivity across the African continent.
The collaboration, marked by a grant agreement signing, is a stride towards enhancing internet accessibility for hundreds of thousands of Africans who currently lack affordable broadband options.
At the 2024 American Chamber of Commerce Business Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo bore witness to the historic moment as USTDA inked the pivotal deal with CSquared.
The grant, funded by USTDA, will finance a comprehensive feasibility study aimed at charting the course for Africa’s inaugural open-access trans-continental digital infrastructure.
Enoh T. Ebong, Director of USTDA, emphasized the transformative potential of the project, stating, “USTDA is partnering with CSquared to develop Africa’s first open-access trans-continental digital infrastructure, which will empower inland African communities by connecting them to the digital economy.”
Central to the study is the assessment of potential fiber backbone routes traversing key African nations including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Furthermore, the feasibility study will evaluate the expansion of fiber network infrastructure along the backbone, with a focus on extending last-mile connections to towers, businesses, and residences. The overarching goal is to facilitate the expansion of affordable, high-capacity broadband to currently underserved inland African communities.
Eddie Irungu, Chief Financial Officer of CSquared Group, hailed the partnership as a pivotal step towards bridging the digital divide on the continent. He remarked, “CSquared has a vision to digitally connect Africa and make connectivity more accessible and affordable. USTDA has been proactively instrumental in providing this feasibility study grant.”
The initiative has garnered praise from U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, who stated the transformative impact of digital access on Africa’s economic landscape. Ambassador Whitman expressed excitement over the partnership’s potential to provide affordable and accessible internet to a broader array of communities in Kenya and beyond.
Businesses in the United States keen on contributing to the USTDA-funded feasibility study are encouraged to explore opportunities through the agency’s website. The project aligns closely with Biden-Harris Administration priorities, including the Digital Transformation with Africa initiative, Prosper Africa, and the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, reinforcing commitments made at the December 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.
With USTDA’s engagement and strategic partnerships, the endeavor aims to pave the way for a more connected and digitally inclusive Africa, laying the groundwork for sustainable economic growth and development across the continent.
