Mauritania s Fiber Optic Cable Integration

Mauritania is expanding its national fiber network and establishing a second international submarine cable to enhance connectivity, resilience, and digital transformation.

National Fiber Optic Expansion

Mauritania has already deployed over 5,500 kilometers of fiber optic cable and plans to install an additional 2,300 kilometers to connect all wilayas and moughatas, ensuring nationwide coverage . This initiative is part of the Digital Agenda 2022-2025, which aims to leverage digital infrastructure for socio-economic development, e-government, and the growth of startups and technological ecosystems . The expansion includes creating looped networks to improve resilience and service quality, while a fiber optic training program is being implemented to develop local technical expertise for installation, operation, and maintenance .

International Submarine Cable Projects

Mauritania currently relies on the ACE (Africa Coast to Europe) submarine cable for international connectivity. To diversify and strengthen its digital infrastructure, the country is deploying a second submarine cable via EllaLink, which will directly connect Mauritania to Madrid, Spain . The project includes:

• A 670 km subsea branch from the main EllaLink trunk to a new cable landing station in Nouadhibou .
• Two fiber pairs with state-of-the-art optical technology, scalable from multi-gigabit to multi-terabit capacity .
• An initial 200 Gbps low-latency connection, expandable to 12 Tbps, providing a secure and cost-effective link to European exchanges .
• Construction and maintenance by Alcatel Submarine Networks, with co-funding from the European Union and support from the European Investment Bank . The EllaLink project is expected to be fully operational by January 2027, complementing the ACE cable and reducing the risk of service disruption, which has previously affected internet and mobile services nationwide .

Strategic Impact

The integration of national and international fiber infrastructure will:

• Enhance internet access and bandwidth, supporting e-government, education, healthcare, agriculture, and energy sectors .
• Reduce dependency on a single international cable, improving resilience against outages and maintenance disruptions .
• Enable a technological ecosystem, fostering startups, innovation, and digital services across Mauritania .
• Strengthen digital sovereignty, providing low-latency, secure connections to European and global digital hubs . Mauritania's fiber optic integration represents a comprehensive approach to modernizing its digital infrastructure, combining domestic network expansion with strategic international connectivity to support long-term economic and technological growth.