In the era of global connectivity, underwater cables are the bedrock of the Internet. they transport more than 95% of global data flows, connecting continents, savings, and digital services. These infrastructures, although discreet, have become strategic assets, directly influencing digital sovereignty, connectivity costs, and a country’s capacity to integrate into the global digital economy.

More and more states are looking to reduce their dependence on international links managed by intermediaries, by deploying or co-financing their own submarine cables. the objective is clear: to increase their international bandwidth (BPI), which is the capacity to transmit data between a country and the rest of the world. A high BPI is a performance, reliability, and autonomy index in access to world digital services, especially those of web giants (cloud, streaming, online services, etc.).

In this context, Morocco is distinguished. With its strategic geographic position between Europe, Africa, and America, it has a diversified, dense, and resilient undersea cable infrastructure. The country also benefits from recognized know-how in the field of maritime telecommunications. This combination makes Morocco a potential digital hub for West Africa, capable of serving as a direct and reliable gateway for regional connectivity.

But this role of “gatekeeper” should not be an end in itself for the continent. Africa can no longer be content to be a simple transit point for global data. It must become an actor in its own digital infrastructure. This involves not only increasing its BPI but also strengthening its internet exchange points (IXP). An IXP is a physical infrastructure allowing Internet service providers (ISP), operators, and hosts to exchange local Internet traffic, without going through costly international routes. A good mesh of IXP promotes the reduction in costs, the enhancement of performance, and the advancement of local content.

In this outlook, South-South cooperation becomes essential. Morocco, thanks to its infrastructure and experience, can initiate partnerships with its neighbors to build African digital sovereignty together. This could result in joint projects of cables, regional data centers, or even local exchange and accommodation platforms.

Investing in submarine cables and associated infrastructure (IXP, Data Centers, land interconnections) is no longer solely a technical matter. It is now a political and strategic choice, which engages Africa’s place in the digital world. Like Morocco, it is indeed time for the continent to have the means of its digital ambition, to no longer undergo the routes drawn by others, but to forge its own.