(Ecofin Agency) - Chad is counting on the trans-Saharan fiber optic backbone to strengthen its digital infrastructure. The country frequently experiences Internet disruptions due to incidents on its infrastructure.

The European Union (EU) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) are pleased with the progress of the trans-Saharan fiber optic backbone project in Chad. On October 24, representatives from both organizations accompanied Boukar Michel, the Chadian Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Economy, on a site visit in N'Djamena.

Brahim Abdelkerim, the Secretary General of the Ministry, reported that about 100 kilometers remain to be installed to complete the Chadian section of the backbone. The project includes a 559-kilometer stretch to the Niger border and a 50-kilometer metropolitan network in the capital. Completion is expected by the end of this year or early 2025.

This positive assessment comes about six months after Boukar Michel's previous visit, during which he expressed concerns about the slow pace of work and mentioned the possibility of "drastic decisions." In May 2023, the government relaunched the project, which originally started in 2020. The CGPS/LORYNE Group, responsible for the project, was supposed to finish the work in ten months. The total cost of the project is estimated at CFA 20.5 billion ($33.9 million), funded by the EU and the AfDB, with a contribution of CFA 1.6 billion from the Chadian government.

This infrastructure is vital for strengthening Chad's national telecommunications network. Currently, the landlocked country relies heavily on Cameroon and Sudan for access to international internet capacity. Disruptions in the fiber optic transport networks of these countries often lead to significant outages in Chad, especially affecting internet service.

N'Kodia Claude, a representative from the AfDB, noted that Chad will gain access to submarine landing points through Niger, which will improve its connection to international cables. Niger borders coastal countries like Benin, Nigeria, and Algeria, each of which has connections to at least three submarine cables. This interconnection is expected to enhance internet quality in Chad while also improving redundancy in the network.