On May 14th, 2020, China Mobile International, Meta, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, Stc, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC partnered to build 2Africa, which is the most comprehensive subsea cable to serve Africa.The 2Africa subsea cable system is designed to deliver seamless international connectivity to approximately 3 billion people, representing 36% of the global population and connecting three continents, Africa, Europe and Asia.At 45,000km, with a design capacity of up to 180Tbps, it will be the longest subsea cable ever deployed, serving communities that rely on the internet for services from education to healthcare, business etc., with all experiencing the economic and social benefits that come from this increased connectivity.The first landing of the 2Africa cable was in Genoa, Italy and was billed for more landing in a total of 46 locations by the completion of the project in 2024.The 2Africa subsea cable connects three continents as earlier mentioned, Africa, Europe and Asia, creating a unique connectivity by adding vital landing locations in Oman (Barka), UAE (Abu Dhabi and Kalba), Qatar (Doha), Bahrain (Manama), Kuwait (Kuwait), Iraq (Al-Faw), Pakistan (Karachi), India (Mumbai), Saudi Arabia (Al Khobar), Canary Islands, the Seychelles, Comoros Islands, Angola, and a new landing to south-east Nigeria (Lagos and our dear Akwa Ibom State).This will support healthy internet ecosystem development by facilitating greatly improved accessibility for businesses and consumers alike.The 2Africa cable will implement a new technology, SDM1 from ASN, allowing deployment of up to 16 fibre pairs instead of the eight fibre pairs supported by older technologies, bringing much greater and more cost-effective capacity. The cable will incorporate optical switching technology to enable flexible management of bandwidth. Cable burial depth has also been increased by 50% compared to older systems, and cable routing will avoid locations of known subsea disturbance, all helping to ensure the highest levels of availability.What is the Impact of this project? And how will it directly improve lives and contribute to our collective growth and prosperity.Enhanced Connectivity: The 2Africa submarine cable’s 180Tbps capacity improves global internet connectivity, facilitating faster and more reliable communication across sectors.Telemedicine Advancements: Healthcare benefits from improved data transmission, enabling faster telemedicine consultations, remote diagnostics, and access to medical expertise globally.E-Learning Opportunities: The increased bandwidth supports advanced e-learning platforms, enabling seamless online education experiences with high-quality content and real-time collaboration.Precision Agriculture: The cable aids precision agriculture by providing high-speed data transfer for remote monitoring, IoT (Internet of things) devices, and analytics, optimizing crop management and resource allocation.Research and Development Acceleration: With faster data transfer, researchers can collaborate globally in real-time, accelerating breakthroughs in various fields, from science and technology to medicine.Innovation Hubs Empowerment: The cable supports the growth of innovation hubs by providing reliable high-speed internet, fostering entrepreneurship, and attracting tech talent.Economic Growth: Enhanced digital infrastructure stimulates economic growth by attracting foreign investments, supporting e-commerce, and enabling businesses to operate more efficiently.Increased Cross-Border Collaboration: Governments and organizations can collaborate seamlessly across borders, fostering regional partnerships and joint initiatives for socio-economic development.Big Data Analytics Impact: The cable’s high capacity supports the efficient transfer and analysis of big data, unlocking valuable insights for decision-making in diverse sectors.Global Talent Pool Access: Improved internet connectivity allows businesses and institutions to tap into a global talent pool, fostering diversity and bringing expertise from different parts of the world.How can the youths take advantage of this great opportunity to improve their lives without glitch in network?Online Education and Skill Development: Leverage high-speed internet for online courses and skill development platforms to enhance their knowledge and acquire valuable skills relevant to emerging industries.Entrepreneurship and E-Commerce: Use the improved connectivity to explore entrepreneurship opportunities, launch online businesses, and tap into global markets through e-commerce platforms.Remote Work and Freelancing: Take advantage of remote work opportunities enabled by robust internet connectivity, offering flexibility and access to a broader range of job opportunities.Innovation and Tech Startups: Engage in tech innovation and startups, utilizing the increased bandwidth to collaborate on projects, access cloud services, and participate in global tech communities.Research Collaboration: Engage in collaborative research projects with peers and professionals worldwide, leveraging the improved connectivity to access and contribute to global research initiatives.Social Impact Initiatives: Use digital platforms to initiate and participate in social impact projects, leveraging technology for community development, education, and healthcare.Content Creation and Online Presence: Develop and showcase your talents through content creation on social media platforms, reaching a global audience and potentially building a personal brand.Global Networking: Build a global network by connecting with professionals, mentors, and like-minded individuals across borders, fostering diverse collaborations and opportunities for personal and professional growth.Finally, I thank the Governor of Akwa Ibom State Pastor Umo Eno for his support and partnership on this development project. He is indeed an ICT friendly Governor as this is evident in his consistent and persistent investment in the growth of digital infrastructure in the state, this is not far from his promise as enshrined in the ARISE Agenda. Dr. Frank Ekpenyong, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on ICT and Digital Services has contributed in no small measure to this development, and I thank him for this specially. To the company that champion this huge project, MainOne, an Equinix Company, which is a leading West African data center and connectivity solutions provider, who have done incredibly well in taking this project thus far, I thank them for doing a great job.The source of this information is from a careful research with reference to 2Africa and MianOne.