Sparkle, Kush Investments sign virtual fiber deal for Equiano

Italian-headquartered international service provider Sparkle has signed an agreement with UAE-based Kush Investments firm for the provision of virtual fiber services on the Google-backed Equiano submarine cable connecting Africa to Europe.

By acquiring virtual fiber on Sparkle's Equiano asset, Kush Investments strengthens its ICT infrastructure portfolio and enables the development of new business opportunities and projects in the telecommunications sector in West Africa, the companies said in a statement.

This agreement follows the one reached in June 2022 for virtual fiber on the upcoming Blue & Raman Submarine Cable Systems between Djibouti and Europe, which the companies believe will be instrumental in supporting digitalization in East Africa.

"This second infrastructure investment aims at completing the digital coverage of the sub-Saharan region of the continent from east to west. We are extremely pleased to partner with Sparkle on these initiatives and look forward to implementing new projects to drive the continued growth of the digital ecosystem in the years to come," said Mohammed Yusef, CIO of Kush Investments.

"We are delighted with this new agreement with Kush Investments, which confirms our shared vision on the importance of accelerating the development of international telecommunication infrastructures to support the impressive digital growth of Africa," added Enrico Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle.

"We are also proud to see how our recent acquisition on Equiano is already proving to be key to implementing our vision on the evolution of the telecom sector in the continent," Bagnasco continued.

Cable capabilities

The Equiano cable's journey began in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2019, and had several stops along the western coast of Africa.

The subsea cable landed in Cape Town, South Africa, in August 2022, after a landing in Swakopmund, Namibia, in July 2022. It also runs through Togo, Nigeria and Saint Helena to connect Africa with Europe.

In March 2023, telecoms services provider Seacom announced it was live on Google's Equiano cable.

In October 2022, Liquid Dataport, a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, also purchased a pair of fiber cables on the Equiano cable.

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*Top image is of Sparkle CEO Enrico Bagnasco and Kush Investments CIO Mohammed Yusef at the agreement signing. (Source: Sparkle)

— The Staff, Connecting Africa