Sierra Leone’s operators currently purchase approximately 95.5 Gbps of international bandwidth capacity at costs of USD 8-15/Mbps/month. Demand is forecast to grow by around 40% annually to 2030, exceeding 500 Gbps. The project will deliver a new submarine fibre-optic cable to expand international connectivity, meet rising bandwidth demand and reduce wholesale capacity costs. The project is seeking equity investment alongside committed capital and is advancing anchor capacity agreements ahead of financial close.
Project overview
Investment opportunity
Seeking equity investment in a new submarine fibre-optic cable project to expand Sierra Leone’s international connectivity and meet growing bandwidth demand. The project is advancing anchor capacity agreements ahead of financial close. Investment will support cable system development, landing infrastructure, network equipment and associated project delivery costs. Revenue is expected from wholesale international capacity sales to telecommunications operators, with anchor capacity agreements of three to five years currently under negotiation at launch pricing of USD 5/Mbps/month.
Investment types sought
Project status
Development stage
Concept
Current status / progress to date
The project is being facilitated by the National Investment Board (NIB) PPP Directorate. Confirmation of the sponsoring ministry and project sponsor is pending.
Additional project information
- Lead agency
- NIB PPP Directorate
Expected impact
Jobs created / supported
Not verified; estimate pending
Climate & resilience benefits
- Connectivity resilience and digital efficiency
Contact
Contact team
For more information about this project, please contact the Commonwealth Investment Platform team.