EXA Infrastructure, a digital infrastructure platform connecting Europe and North America, and WIOCC Group, Africa’s leading provider of converged open access digital infrastructure, have announced the signing of a deal for capacity on a new terrestrial transport route interconnecting Africa and Europe
The deal comes hot on the heels of EXA’s recent announcement that it is investing in a new terrestrial transport route to Lisbon and Sines in Portugal, connecting the Iberian peninsula to EXA’s European network. WIOCC will be utilising this new gateway to support its growth as the wholesale carrier of choice across the African continent.
Our expanded partnership with EXA Infrastructure enables us to harness EXA’s robust transport routes to Europe through Portugal on a high-capacity network. WIOCC is continually investing to strengthen Africa’s global connectivity, expand open access digital footprint and ICT capabilities, and thereby extend Africa’s influence and capabilities,” said WIOCC Group chief executive Chris Wood.
“Africa’s internet economy is growing fast, the mobile-first continent unites almost 1.4 billion people and connectivity is fundamental to Africa’s digital transformation. We are pleased to have secured this partnership and transport route with EXA.”
Africa has around 570mn internet users in 2022 with social media, online shopping and fintech growing in popularity and rising internet penetration, according to Statista. The demand for content both within and outside of Africa is growing and WIOCC has been a key catalyst for internet growth in Africa, investing over US$500mn in creating open access, hyperscale digital infrastructure.
“WIOCC has been a pioneer in connecting Africa to the world, and we are delighted to be chosen to support them in Europe as they continue to scale to support the demands of their clients. The African connectivity landscape is rapidly changing with the growing demand for internet traffic and bandwidth. Reliable digital infrastructure is pivotal to improve the quality of people’s lives and drive business growth across the continent” said EXA Infrastructure chief commercial officer Nicholas Collins.
EXA Infrastructure was recently awarded the Best Pan-European Wholesale Carrier at the 2022 Global Carrier Awards and is committed to investing in its network to support its customer needs.
“EXA will continue to expand our network in line with customer demand to ensure we are the most compelling choice for our customers who are looking for fast, secure and scalable infrastructure”, said Collins.
