Main One, a provider of telecoms services and network solutions for businesses in West Africa, has been awarded a grant by the United States Trade and Development Agency to support a feasibility study on the extension of a fibre optic network from Lagos to Port Harcourt.
The grant will enable Main One to evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of extending approximately 300 miles of undersea fibre optic cabling and supporting infrastructure between two of Nigeria’s most important commercial centres, the firm said in a statement on Sunday.
The new investment will connect Port Harcourt to the existing Main One cable system, which spans 4,500 miles and provides capacity for international and local Internet connectivity.
Access to the cable system at Port Harcourt, the centre of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, will dramatically decrease the cost of bandwidth and enable the growth of businesses and consumers using telecom services in the region.
The feasibility study will include an assessment of cable installation techniques and a recommendation for the cable route, an assessment of potential long-term maintenance hazards to the cable and a detailed demand assessment for the extension.
“This project is an important example of Main One’s commitment to bring high-speed broadband access to Africa,” stated Mr. Paul Marin, the USTDA Regional Director for sub-Saharan Africa, who was represented by the US Consul General, Jeffrey Hawkins.
“We are proud to be supporting Main One in their efforts to provide the infrastructure for broad-based economic growth in Nigeria,” he added.
The Chief Executive Officer of Main One, Ms. Funke Opeke, said, “We are appreciative of the USTDA for this important grant aimed at furthering the development of broadband services and economic development in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.”
The grant was signed by Hawkins on behalf of USTDA and Opeke for Main One, at the residence of the Consul General.
The opportunity to conduct the USTDA-funded feasibility study will be competed on the Federal Business Opportunities website.
A link to the FBO announcement will be posted to USTDA’s website at www.ustda.gov.