By 
Sierra Leone and Guinea have firmed up an MoU on the interconnection for Internet redundant route (backup/ alternative route) through the terrestrial fibre backbone. This will enhance Internet connectivity backing up the subsea cable ACE cable managed by the infrastructure company Zoodlabs SL.
RELATED: NITDA and Sierra Leone discuss plans for enhanced cross-border collaboration
This followed a recent meeting in Conakry where senior officials from Sierra Leone’s National Communications Authority (NATCA) and the Ministry of Communication, Technology, and Innovation met with their counterparts in Guinea’s Regulatory Authority for Posts and Telecommunications (ARPT) and the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications, and the Digital Economy (MPTEN).
The Conakry deal will enhance cooperation in critical areas, including fiber optic interconnection, combating cybercrime, and the implementation of a “Free-Roaming” initiative.
Deal will spike access
The deal will also enhance infrastructure capacity for digital economies of the two West African countries with a combined population of more than 23 million people. Sierra Leone’s internet penetration rate stood at 21.2 percent of the total population at the start of 2023. There were 4.87 million internet users in Guinea at the start of 2023, when internet penetration stood at 34.7 percent. This deal will help to spike access to a significant percentage of the population.
According to the Mr. Amara Brewah, Director General of NATCA, the two countries have successfully finalised a draft of the agreement. The next step will be to develop a detailed action plan leading up to the official signing of the MoU by the telecommunications ministers of Sierra Leone and Guinea.
