Google's Sh10 billion gift to Kenya

david nganga

May 17, 2017 1:26 PM

Kenya will benefit from Google's latest Sh10 billion project after....

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Kenya is among a host of African countries set to benefit from Google's latest investment seeking to offer high, world class internet.

American multinational tech company Google will pump up to $100 million (Sh10.3 billion) to invest in metro fiber optic cables in a bid to offer high-speed data services in Africa.

This after four companies namely Convergence Partners, International Finance Corporation, Mitsui & Co Ltd and Google itself agreed to invest in CSquared, which is a broadband infrastructure company based in Nairobi.

“We believe that together under CSquared we can get more done to roll-out and operate affordable, high-speed, and reliable infrastructure to expand Internet access in Africa,” said Marian Croak, Vice-president at Google.

CSquared has networks in Uganda and Ghana and has plans to expand cable installation elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.

Uganda has fiber-optic cables covering more than 800 km in Kampala with those in Ghana’s Accra totalling more than 840 km.

However, the existing networks need to be beefed up so as to offer seamless high-speed data services in urban centers.

CSquared was established in 2011, after Google identified a major barrier “to more affordable, reliable broadband in Africa” as lack of fiber optic networks in major cities.

And as a result Project Link was launched, an initiative to establish first-class, high-speed urban fiber networks in Africa’s major urban cities.

david nganga