Central African Backbone

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Fibre optic cables being dug into the ground in Ouesso in Northern Congo in 2015.

The Central African Backbone (CAB) is a fiber-optic Internet backbone connecting the countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in Africa via high speed internet. The countries included in the CAB project are: Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Republic of the Congo and São Tomé and Príncipe. It's split up into five phases, each phase focusing on the fibre rollout in one or more countries.

List of CAB phases[edit]

Phase Reference Countries Approval Date Closing Date Status Total Project Cost
Phase 1[1] APL1A  Cameroon
 Central African Republic
 Chad
24 September 2009 15 March 2016 Finished[2] $26,730,000 USD
Phase 2[3] APL2  São Tomé and Príncipe 20 January 2011 31 December 2014 Finished[4] $14,900,000 USD
Phase 3[5] APL3  Republic of the Congo 25 May 2011 29 October 2019 Finished[6] $33,680,000 USD
Phase 4[7] APL4  Gabon 28 March 2012 9 April 2021 Finished[8] $132,000,000 USD
Phase 5[9] SOP5  Democratic Republic of the Congo 16 July 2014 31 March 2022 Finished[10] $38,093,000 USD

Funding[edit]

The project is funded by a loan from the World Bank, initially estimated at $160 million USD.[11] As of 2015, total World Bank funding for the project is at $206 million USD, and the total project cost, including financing from other sources than the World Bank, is estimated at $273 million USD.[1][3][5][7][9]

CAB in Cameroon[edit]

In Cameroon the CAB runs from the coast, through the capital of Yaoundé, to the north east where it meets up with the Chadian part of the backbone.[12]

CAB in Central African Republic[edit]

The deployment of the CAB in the Central African Republic was slowed down by the political instability in 2012-2013.[13] It runs from Chad in the north to the capital of Bangui.[12]

CAB in Chad[edit]

In Chad the CAB runs from N'Djamena towards the south where it forks off in two directions, one towards Cameroon and one towards the Central African Republic.[12]

CAB in Democratic Republic of the Congo[edit]

In Democratic Republic of the Congo the CAB will run from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi and Kisangani.[14]

CAB in Gabon[edit]

In Gabon the CAB runs from Libreville to Franceville, and from thereon it splits in two directions, one towards Lékoni and another towards Koulamoutou.[15]

CAB in Republic of the Congo[edit]

In Republic of the Congo the CAB runs from the port city of Pointe-Noire to Brazzaville, and from thereon north to Ouesso.[16]

CAB in São Tomé and Príncipe[edit]

In São Tomé and Príncipe the CAB runs in the capital of São Tomé[17]

International terrestrial fibre interconnection[edit]

The CAB crosses several international borders, including a Cameroon-Chad interconnection,[18] a Chad-CAR interconnection,[12] a Congo-DRC interconnection between Brazzaville and Kinshasa,[19] as well as a Congo-Gabon interconnection between running from Dolisie along the Congo–Ocean Railway, and through Mont-Mbelo, Makabana, Mossendjo and Mbinda, before crossing over into Gabon.[20]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b www.worldbank.org http://www.worldbank.org/projects/P108368/central-african-backbone-apl1a?lang=en. Retrieved 26 April 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  2. ^ documents.worldbank.org http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/100611482161172882/pdf/Central-African-Backbone-APL1A-ICR-P108368-final-cleared-12162016.pdf. Retrieved 20 January 2020. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  3. ^ a b www.worldbank.org http://www.worldbank.org/projects/P117652/central-african-backbone-apl2?lang=en. Retrieved 26 April 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  4. ^ documents.worldbank.org http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/234391468190440376/pdf/ICR3141-P117652-Box391488B-OUO-9.pdf. Retrieved 20 January 2020. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  5. ^ a b www.worldbank.org http://www.worldbank.org/projects/P122398/central-african-backbone-apl3-republic-congo?lang=en. Retrieved 26 April 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  6. ^ documents.worldbank.org http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/771951572880867186/pdf/Congo-Republic-of-Third-Phase-of-the-Central-African-Backbone-Program-Project.pdf. Retrieved 18 January 2020. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  7. ^ a b "Development Projects : Central African Backbone - APL4 - Gabon - P122776". projects.worldbank.org. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  8. ^ documents1.worldbank.org https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/622871619791053067/pdf/Gabon-Fourth-Phase-of-the-Central-African-Backbone-Program-Gabon-Project.pdf. Retrieved 25 May 2021. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  9. ^ a b www.worldbank.org http://www.worldbank.org/projects/P132821?lang=en. Retrieved 26 April 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  10. ^ documents1.worldbank.org https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/271291649102938232/pdf/Eastern-Africa-Central-African-Backbone-SOP5-Project.pdf. Retrieved 8 April 2022. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  11. ^ go.worldbank.org http://go.worldbank.org/MPTI3O2IS0. Retrieved 26 April 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  12. ^ a b c d "ITU Interactive Terrestrial Transmission/ESCAP Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway Maps". www.itu.int. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  13. ^ "Documents & Reports - All Documents | the World Bank" (PDF). www-wds.worldbank.org. Retrieved 28 April 2015.[title missing]
  14. ^ "Kinshasa, Lubumbashi et Kisangani bientôt connectées et interconnectées par fibre optique". www.agenceecofin.com. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  15. ^ "Projet de fibre optique : Contrat pour un backbone 1100 km". gabonreview.com. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  16. ^ www.itu.int http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Regulatory-Market/Documents/Brazzavile/Session9%20-1%20Luc%20Missidimbazi%20%282%29.pdf. Retrieved 28 April 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  17. ^ www.stpdigital.net http://www.stpdigital.net/sociedade/688-sao-tome-entrou-na-era-do-cabo-de-fibra-optica.html. Retrieved 28 April 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[title missing]
  18. ^ "Journal du Cameroun - Actualités et Infos en direct au Cameroun et dans le Monde". www.journalducameroun.com. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  19. ^ http://www.digitalcongo.net/article/86452 Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine | Retrieved on 28 April 2015.
  20. ^ "Huawei va interconnecter le Congo au Gabon par fibre optique pour 12 milliards de FCFA". www.agenceecofin.com. Retrieved 28 April 2015.