The partnership aims to reduce internet and data transit costs, enhance network reliability, and facilitate high-speed connectivity for telecom operators, public institutions, and businesses across both countries. Initial capacity is set at 42.5 Gbps, with plans to scale to 100 Gbps by 2026. The system uses secure IP/MPLS protocols and fibre technology to deliver robust digital services.

Officials from both countries say the initiative aligns with broader regional goals under ECOWAS and the African Union to build a unified African digital market.

"This project is a key component of the Guinea–Sierra Leone Digital Pact 2024, aimed at unifying digital markets and services," said Nouhan Traoré, Secretary General of Guinea’s Ministry of Telecommunications. Leoncom CEO Foday Rado Yokie added that, “our collaboration with SOGEB will improve broadband access in Sierra Leone and stimulate economic interaction with Guinea.

Mohamed Kourouma, Director of SOGEB, however, noted, “This agreement is a major milestone for Guinea, reflecting our commitment to building an open and interconnected national backbone that benefits operators, enterprises, and citizens alike.”

The agreement also supports the Guinea–Sierra Leone Digital Pact 2024 , a bilateral roadmap to foster digital inclusion and integration, combating cybercrime, and improving cross-border communication.

In early 2025, Guinea's internet penetration rate was 26.5%, with 3.96 million users, while Sierra Leone had a 20.7% penetration rate, with 1.80 million users, according to Datareportal . Telecom giants like Orange and MTN are expected to benefit from reduced operational costs, while citizens in border communities will gain better access to services such as e-learning, telemedicine, and remote work platforms. Discussions are already underway to extend this fibre corridor to Liberia, potentially anchoring a sub-regional digital backbone.

Disclaimer: The image for the article was AI-generated

Airtel Africa currently operates in 14 countries, while Starlink is active in nine, with a new agreement expected to strengthen Airtel’s satellite connectivity offerings and improve internet access in underserved and remote areas.

Airtel described the collaboration as a “strategic investment and partnership,” aimed at advancing its next-generation connectivity services.

This move follows a similar arrangement in India earlier this year, where Airtel agreed to distribute Starlink kits through its retail network, potentially bundling Starlink services with its existing offerings.

MTN Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita, in an interview with Bloomberg TV, attributed the loss to the recent volatility of the naira, which has depreciated by over 70% against the dollar since President Bola Tinubu took office in May 2023 and initiated sweeping economic reforms. Mupita suggested that the inflation cycle in Nigeria is expected to peak between the third and fourth quarters of the year, potentially creating opportunities for co-investment in infrastructure with third parties.

“Naira volatility is nearer term, and the inflation cycle in Nigeria is expected to peak in the third quarter, early fourth quarter,” MTN Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita said in a Bloomberg TV interview . “That will create an opportunity of co-investment with third parties to accelerate investment in infrastructure,” said Mupita

Nigeria remains a big market for MTN, with approximately 77 million customers contributing about a third of the company’s overall earnings. Despite the financial setback, MTN's shares rose by 0.8% to 89.32 rand in Johannesburg trading.

Beyond Nigeria, MTN also faces challenges in other key markets including Iran, where the company owns 49% of MTN IranCell and a stake in the local ride-hailing service Snapp, MTN has 3 billion rand in dividends trapped due to U.S. sanctions, according to Mupita.

The Global System for Mobile Communication Association of Zambia (GSMAZ) has highlighted the damning effects of these extended power outages. The blackouts, which can last up to 14 hours a day, have forced telecom companies to rely heavily on backup generators. However, these generators are only designed to provide power for a maximum of four hours.

"The power backup at the telecom sites is generally designed to last up to a maximum of four hours, however, owing to the current unprecedented 13 to 14 hours of daily load shedding, there is a huge cost variance not only for the fuel and generator maintenance but also for the associated fuel delivery logistics for the mobile network operators," noted GSMAZ.

The reliance on generators has led to increased operational costs for fuel and maintenance. The frequent need for refuelling and servicing of generators disrupts the continuity of service, leading to compromised quality of telecommunications services.

"Though backup power is available at these sites through generators, instances when there is electricity downtime, and extended load shedding hours, our provision of quality of service is compromised as the generators now require constant refuelling and more frequent servicing cycles," GSMAZ added.

According to Connecting Africa , The root cause of these power outages is largely attributed to severe climate change. Lake Kariba, Zambia's largest man-made lake, has lost over 98% of its water, drastically reducing its capacity to generate electricity.

This has forced the state-owned power utility, ZESCO, to implement rolling blackouts to manage the limited power supply.

GSMA cited a lack of awareness about the functionality and benefits of mobile and digital technologies as a primary driver behind Nigeria's low adoption rates, contrasting with the nearly universal awareness observed in the surveyed countries.

“A key driver of lack of adoption in Nigeria is awareness of the workings and the benefits of mobile and digital technologies,” the survey noted.

Despite these challenges, Nigeria has seen a gradual increase in awareness, influenced by new licensing regulations that enable major telecom operators like MTN and Airtel to offer mobile money services.

This shift mirrors the success of M-Pesa, launched in Ethiopia last August, where mobile money adoption initially lagged behind Nigeria. Within the first four months, M-Pesa's user base tripled to 3.1 million, though operational hurdles have surfaced, the report indicated.

The report further highlighted that only 58% of male micro-entrepreneurs in Nigeria utilise mobile internet for business purposes, with 36% of their female counterparts leveraging the technology.

The GSMA survey, published in 2024, compiled over 8,000 micro-entrepreneurs across Nigeria and other African nations.

“There are outages on multiple submarine optic fibre cables that come into Ghana. Some of the cables are down while others are delivering limited capacity… As a result, customers and subscribers are currently experiencing service challenges,” said the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunication in a statement as reported by Ghana Web .

Technology security company, Cloudflare also reported that Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Benin and Niger were hit by major internet outages.

“Internet connectivity in several African countries was disrupted on March 14, 2024, beginning at approximately 05:00 UTC. Cloudflare Radar data shows a pattern of disruptions from the north to the south of West Africa over time,” they wrote on social media.

According to Cloudflare, submarine cables carry over 90% of intercontinental data traffic and currently, there are 529 active submarine cables and 1,444 landings that are currently active or under construction, running to an estimated 1.3 million km around the globe.

The conference, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations-affiliated international organization, is held every three to four years to discuss and set the agenda for global telecommunications.

The agreement signed by Nigeria includes new and revised provisions of the Radio Regulations, an international treaty governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits, local media Vanguard reported.

“The updated Radio Regulations identify new spectrum resources that will support technological innovation, deepen global connectivity, and enhance safety across air, sea, and land, local media Vanguard quoted Reuben Muoka, the Public Affairs Director of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as saying.

“The conference also identified new frequencies for non-geostationary fixed-satellite service Earth Stations in Motion (ESIMs) that would provide high-speed broadband onboard aircraft, vessels, trains, and vehicles,” he added.

6G technology adoption in Nigeria means equitable access to advanced telecommunications services and service quality for all Nigerians even those in the rural areas.