Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Nokia will provide SLTE technology for the Bangladesh Private Cable System, a new subsea link connecting Bangladesh to Singapore. The project will add significant bandwidth and redundancy, reduce operational costs, and strengthen Bangladesh’s international connectivity following past disruptions to existing submarine cable routes.
Ooredoo is investing $500 million to expand its global subsea cable network, boosting capacity, resilience, and international reach. The initiative will support new cable systems, landing stations, and upgrades to existing routes, reinforcing Qatar’s position as a digital hub. The investment targets rising enterprise demand for cloud, AI, 5G, and low-latency cross-border data connectivity.
Google will deploy a new subsea cable called Dhivaru linking Oman, the Maldives, and Australia’s Christmas Island, alongside two regional connectivity hubs. The project will enhance resilience, performance, and regional reach across Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and Oceania through advanced switching, caching, and colocation capabilities.
Google will build four subsea cable hubs across Africa and invest $9M in AI training and research, expanding its Africa Connect program. The initiative will improve internet speed and resilience for 18 nations while equipping young Africans with AI and cloud skills to drive the continent’s digital economy.
AFR-IX Telecom has secured USTDA funding to study extending the Medusa subsea cable to West Africa. The project aims to enhance Africa’s digital connectivity, enabling secure bandwidth for AI, 6G, and quantum technologies, while strengthening US-African cooperation against untrusted infrastructure providers.
Telecom Egypt has expanded its international footprint with a new PoP at Aqaba Digital Hub in Jordan, paired with the Coral Bridge subsea cable. The initiative strengthens Egypt-Jordan digital links, enhances regional resilience, and provides high-capacity infrastructure to support cloud, AI, and international data transit across the Middle East.
Google is building four new subsea cable hubs in Africa to expand connectivity and support AI growth. Linked to the Equiano and Umoja cables, the hubs will be completed in three years, alongside investments in AI training, funding, and free AI Pro access for students across multiple African nations.
A consortium of PCCW Global, Sparkle, Telecom Egypt, and ZOI has launched the AAE-2 subsea cable project, linking Asia, Africa, and Europe via advanced subsea and terrestrial routes. The system will deliver unprecedented capacity, resilience, and scalability to meet global digital transformation and cloud connectivity demands.
Iraq is positioning itself as a digital transit hub with new subsea cable projects, including the 45,000 km Tawafrica system linking Europe, Africa, and Asia with a branch into Iraq. Anchored at Al-Faw Port, the projects aim to reduce latency, expand capacity, and attract investment in data centers.
Zain Omantel International (ZOI) secured four key global awards in 2025 for excellence in subsea and terrestrial connectivity, including honors for innovation, subsea cable leadership, and regional network operation. These accolades underscore ZOI’s vital role in connecting the Middle East to global digital markets, accelerating socio-economic growth and regional digital transformation.