Safaricom and Meta Invest $23 Million in New Kenya–Oman Subsea Cable
Safaricom and Meta invest $23 million in new Kenya–Oman subsea cable, marking a major milestone for East Africa’s digital economy. The initiative, backed by Meta’s infrastructure affiliate Edge Network Services, is expected to cut internet costs, enhance connectivity, and improve resilience for businesses and consumers across the region.
Safaricom’s First Step into Subsea Infrastructure
This Kenya–Oman cable represents Safaricom’s first direct step into subsea infrastructure. Until now, the company has depended on capacity from third-party international systems such as TEAMS (The East African Marine System), SEACOM, and the EASSy cable. By co-owning and investing in this project, Safaricom secures independence in managing bandwidth while gaining the flexibility to expand capacity as demand rises.
Unlike leasing from external providers, this investment allows Safaricom to set pricing terms, improve service quality, and reduce risks caused by disruptions to existing routes. It also provides Kenya with another international gateway, decreasing reliance on the limited landing stations concentrated along the coast. Learn more about Safaricom’s connectivity strategy.
Meta’s Growing Role in Africa’s Connectivity
Meta’s involvement in subsea cable projects underscores its long-term strategy to expand internet access worldwide. The company is already the lead backer of 2Africa, a 45,000 km subsea system set to connect 33 countries with 180 Tbps of capacity. The system, due to go live this year, is expected to significantly improve affordability and reliability of internet services across the continent.
Beyond 2Africa, Meta is planning the world’s longest subsea cable, spanning 50,000 km and linking the US, India, Brazil, South Africa, and other regions. This massive project is designed to meet growing internet demand and support the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure worldwide.
Improving Access Across Africa
In Africa, Meta’s investments extend beyond undersea cables. The company has invested in local data centers, joined peering exchanges like LINX Nairobi to reduce latency, and built terrestrial fiber routes such as the 2,200 km DRC connection with Liquid Intelligent Technologies. These efforts highlight Meta’s commitment to boosting internet access, lowering costs, and enabling faster connectivity across Africa and beyond.
A Boost for East Africa’s Digital Economy
The Kenya–Oman subsea cable is expected to accelerate East Africa’s digital transformation, creating opportunities in e-commerce, cloud services, fintech, and content delivery. With improved resilience and more affordable bandwidth, businesses and individuals alike will benefit from stronger connections to global networks.
For more insights into Africa’s digital infrastructure, visit our technology insights hub.
