The country of Equatorial Guinea celebrated today the inauguration of the Ceiba-2 fiber optic cable, which connects Malabo, Bata and Kribi, Cameroon. Ceiba-2 is a critical component in the country’s advancement in telecommunications.
El Gestor de Infraestructuras de Telecomunicaciones de Guinea Ecuatorial (GITGE), which manages Equatorial Guinea’s fiber optic infrastructure and public sector telecoms investments, officially launched the cable at the Sipopo Pavilion, with keynote speakers including President of Equatorial Guinea H.E. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the Minister of Telecommunications of Equatorial Guinea H.E. Eucario Bacale Angüe, and the Director of GITGE Mr. Oscar Ondo Ngomo.
“The African Coast to Europe submarine fiber optic cable, installed in Equatorial Guinea in 2012, was a great leap for us, and — through our construction of the Ceiba-1 submarine cable from Bata to Malabo — it enabled us to offer better, cheaper Internet to power the growth of our country,” said the Minister of Telecommunications at the event. “Today, we are celebrating another leap forward for Equatorial Guinea, with the completion of the Ceiba-2 submarine cable.”
The Ceiba-2 cable complements the country's first fiber optic installation between Malabo and Bata by providing redundancy when repairs or maintenance are required on Ceiba-1, and it also increases the overall capacity of the telecommunications system, which, in turn, allows for faster and more affordable services.
“For many countries on our great continent, access to Internet has lagged behind when compared to the rest of the world. In the Central African region, Internet access stands at under 15 percent, hindering the economic development and diversification of our neighboring countries,” said the Director of GITGE.
“In Equatorial Guinea, we are determined to break that trend, and are on track to providing universal Internet access for our citizens — thus changing the very fabric of foundational opportunities for our people in everyday life. Additionally, the lack of Internet capacity throughout West and Central Africa creates a real opportunity for Equatorial Guinea to become a regional telecommunications hub, and we are fast establishing the country as a preeminent location for technology, creating real business opportunities for all of Central Africa.”
ABOUT GITGE
El Gestor de Infraestructuras de Telecomunicaciones de Guinea Ecuatorial (GITGE) was created by presidential decree in January 2011 to manage and operate Equatorial Guinea’s new and rapidly expanding telecommunications infrastructure, including management of the ACE connection with Equatorial Guinea. The state owned company provides capacity to Internet service providers in Equatorial Guinea, and grants equal access to services under an open and nondiscriminatory access.