U.S. Commits to Building Nationwide Fiber Optic Network in Liberia in Partnership with CSquared
November 24th 2022
In 2014, Liberia had already benefited from a digital infrastructure project funded by the United States. The project aimed to connect 51 Liberian government institutions to reliable high-speed networks.
US President Joe Biden said last week that his government was working with Kenyan company CSquared to set up a nationwide fiber optic network in Liberia. This investment announced at the meeting of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investments (PGII) should notably allow to connect one million Liberians to the Internet.
According to Mr. Biden, the construction of the fiber optic network will be financed under the United States’ Digital Investment blended financing program. However, he did not specify the exact amount that will be invested to make the project a reality.
Last June, G7 leaders launched the Global Infrastructure and Investment Partnership (PGII) with the aim of raising USD 600 billion in public and private funds over the next five years to finance infrastructure in developing countries. These funds will be devoted to information and communication technology infrastructures, among others. Within the framework of the PGII, the USA has promised to raise alone 200 billion USD, that is to say one third of the total investment.
This initiative of the US government should help strengthen the actions of the Liberian government to connect more Liberians to the Internet in a context marked by strong demand for broadband connectivity and the acceleration of digital transformation. According to statistics from Data Reportal, Liberia had around 1.1 million internet users at the beginning of 2022, which is a penetration of 22%.
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