Sudan’s digital connectivity landscape is entering a new phase as the Horizon Cross-Border Terrestrial Fibre Initiative advances toward commercialisation.

Ethio Telecom, Djibouti Telecom and Sudan’s Sudatel Group recently held a stakeholder workshop in Addis Ababa to discuss the technical and commercial requirements for the planned fibre corridor. 

The proposed route will connect Djibouti’s submarine cable landing stations to Port Sudan through Ethiopia, creating an additional terrestrial pathway for international data traffic.

The multi-terabit infrastructure is being designed to support cloud computing, artificial intelligence, fintech, e-commerce and digital content delivery. The project is also intended to provide carriers and hyperscalers with an alternative route when submarine cable disruptions affect connectivity.

Major technology and connectivity companies, including Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nokia and Ciena, participated in discussions around the corridor's potential capabilities and technical requirements.

For Sudan, the project places Port Sudan at the centre of an emerging regional digital connectivity route, with potential implications for internet resilience, data services and the wider digital economy.