Uganda taps into new fibre optic cable routes to boost Internet

As older undersea cables in Mombasa and Dar es Salaam approach the end of their commercial life, Uganda’s telecommunications companies are facing increased disruptions, with frequent pauses and outages affecting Internet delivery.

To counter these challenges, Uganda’s telecoms are exploring new routes to ensure uninterrupted access to the Internet from the coastal hubs of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam into the landlocked hinterland.

MTN Uganda made a significant move last week by announcing the completion of a new 1,000-kilometre terrestrial fibre optic network, linking Kampala to Malaba, Kenya. The route, constructed by Bayobab Kenya, is designed to improve the reliability and capacity of Internet connectivity. MTN’s Ugandan subsidiary, Bayobab Uganda, delivered a 260-kilometre fibre spur along the Malaba to Kampala railway line at a cost of $4 million. The project, completed between December 2024 and February 2025, connects Kampala to Bayobab’s subsea cable landing stations in Mombasa, providing a crucial alternative to the ageing submarine cables.

The timing of this new route is critical, as the demand for reliable, high-capacity connectivity continues to grow, according to the Uganda Communications Commission. In response to these evolving needs, Airtel Uganda is also exploring satellite connectivity through Starlink, which has recently initiated the regulatory approval process to deploy its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology in several East African countries, including Uganda.

The region’s reliance on submarine cables dates back to 2009 when the first cables were activated along the East African coast. These cables were a game-changer, significantly reducing latency by 400% and halving Internet costs. At the time, satellite-based Internet was prohibitively expensive, with costs for one megabit per second of capacity reaching $2,000 a month or more.

However, the subsea cables that transformed East African connectivity are nearing the end of their operational lifespan, with most going live between 2009 and 2012. Industry best practices recommend retiring such cables after 25 years due to advances in technology and the growing demand for higher bandwidth. This shift has spurred the search for alternative routes, such as the new fibre network by MTN and the potential of satellite connectivity through Starlink, to keep up with the region’s expanding digital needs.

As East Africa navigates the challenges of ageing infrastructure, the future of Internet connectivity in the region will increasingly rely on a mix of terrestrial and satellite technologies to maintain stable, high-quality service.