While there are several maps showing the undersea fibre cables laid around the coast of Africa (the map of Steve Song has been internationally recognised), there is little data on the coverage of fibre in the hinterlands.

The first attempt to give a complete picture of Intra-Africa’s terrestrial internet coverage comes from the UbuntuNet Alliance, who has recently published a map tracking the existing and upcoming fibre in the hinterlands of the African continent including the fibre for telecommunications, general purpose national backbones and utility companies.

The initiative has been enabled by funding from IDRC within the framework of CORENA, while NRENs have supported the initiative by providing data on existing and upcoming fibre within the different countries.

The intra-Africa fibre map has been published on the UbuntuNet Alliance website to facilitate public input and comment to ensure that the planned quarterly updates of the map do not only improve accuracy but are also responsive to the needs of stakeholders.