Niger Launches Fiber-Optic Link with Algeria to Enhance Connectivity

• •Niger launched a fiber-optic link with Algeria on October 5, 2026.
• •The project aims to reduce Niger's digital isolation and enhance network resilience.
• •The fiber-optic link is part of the Trans-Saharan Fiber Optic Backbone initiative.

Niger officially launched a new fiber-optic link with Algeria on October 5, 2026, aimed at diversifying its digital infrastructure. This connection, established through the Agadez-Assamaka corridor, is part of the Trans-Saharan Fiber Optic Backbone project, which enhances telecommunications links between North Africa and the Sahel. The initiative is designed to reduce Niger's digital isolation by providing an additional international route for internet access. The project includes a 1,031-km network reaching borders with Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, Benin, and Burkina Faso, and features an urban loop connecting major government sites to a national data center. The new link is expected to improve network resilience by offering alternatives if existing connections are disrupted. Algeria's international telecommunications capacity has increased significantly, reaching 9.8 Tbit/s in 2024. This development is crucial for Niger, which lacks direct access to submarine cables, relying instead on neighboring countries for connectivity.