African telecom Liquid Telecom has announced the completion of a decade-long fiber cable project that now links West and East Africa. The 2,600 km cable runs through the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and runs through Zambia, Zimbabwe, and on to Cape Town on one end, while connecting to East Africa and then Egypt on the other end.

Liquid Telecom founder Steve Masiyiwa, while celebrating completion of the cable, noted that the laying of the cable had faced various challenges. These include passing the cable through the rain forest in DRC, project financing, and change of regime.

The fibre comes as the International Finance Corporation (IFC) argues for the commercialisation of national fibre to increase available fibre and enhance competition in the broadband market.