High-quality ducted fiber corridor linking Port Sudan undersea cable landings to inland Central African states, supporting broadband connectivity to Chad, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. The corridor positions Sudan as a digital gateway for landlocked Sahel countries, reducing satellite reliance particularly for humanitarian actors. Technical design specifies high-quality ducted fiber at 130-170 cm depth with multi-mode capacity and distributed open access points. Project implementation is severely constrained by the ongoing Sudan conflict (commenced April 2023). Pre-feasibility studies are ongoing but field access is limited. The Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC) has demonstrated the strategic value of the Port Sudan cable landing for humanitarian connectivity.
PIDA Code
I.02.30.09
Project Status
Active
Project Stage
Transaction Support & Financial Close
Completion Percentage
0
Sector Name
ICT
Subsector Name
Fibre Optic Cable
Alternative Names
Port Sudan-Douala Corridor Sudan Section; Sudan Digital Gateway
Reference Plan
PIDA PAP 2
On SDM
Off
Summary
Project at Pre-feasibility Stage (S2A), one stage advanced from 2020 baseline. August 2024: Emergency Telecommunications Cluster activated a 1 Gbps subsea fiber connection at Port Sudan landing site for humanitarian communications. April 2025: ETC Sudan SitRep confirms humanitarian operations leverage undersea-fed connectivity at 16+ sites across Port Sudan, Kassala, Dongola, and Al-Gedarif. Commercial project progress severely constrained by ongoing Sudan conflict. Pre-feasibility studies continuing where field access permits.
Description
Capex Cost
55.00USD million
Revenue Model
Service and access fees from regional connectivity and wholesale bandwidth
Project Risk
Active Sudan conflict severely constraining institutional capacity and field access; Regional stability and security concerns across the corridor; Cross-border coordination challenges with Chad, CAR, and South Sudan; Implementation timeline highly uncertain until conflict resolution
Countries
Sudan, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, South Sudan
REC
COMESA
Stakeholders
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
Start Date
Date Created Raw
Updated Date
Latitude
15.500000
Longitude
32.559900